All over Again
by Tashana Ambrosia
Summary: *Complete and Reloaded* Hell-week does not even begin to describe what it feels like to have a child disappear. Sequel to "My Enemy; My Love"
1. Monday

Legal Crap: Besides my characters, which I'm sure you can figure you out. I don't own anything. I do not own Digimon or the characters there in.  I am broke please do not sue me.

Author's note: This is the sequel to "My Enemy; My Love" I'm not very fond of it. In fact I really hated it, while I was finishing it. If you haven't read the fore-mentioned fic, than this will not make sense…well it will, but you'll be confused about some of the characters. Anyways. I hope you like it. When I reformatted this I decided to break-up the chapters by days…you'll see.

All over Again

**Monday:**

Yolei Inoue was smiling as she walked along the city side-street; in one hand she held her purse and the other was holding tightly to her little daughter's hand. The two and half year old looked up at Yolei with excitement shimmering in her blue eyes.

" Swing me!" She pleaded at the two adults she was walking in between. 

Yolei looked at her other blue-eyed companion; he smiled and the two lifted the child off the ground a few times.

The man picked Cammy up and settled her in his arms. 

The child looked at her surroundings from this height and suddenly started squirming uncontrollably. " I want to see de angel!" She announced.

The man looked at her inquisitively, " What angel, sweetie?"

" The angel! With da shinny thingy!" Cammy huffed, " Pwease, Daddy?"

Yolei bit her lip, trying to figure out what her child meant. " Cammy, do you mean Kari's angel?"

" Yes." She bobbed her head up and down furiously.

The man touched the top of her head, " Okay, we'll go if you want."

" I wanna walk!" She pushed at the man trying to get down.

He set her down and she bounded towards the cemetery gates.

" Cammy! Slow down and wait for us." Yolei called out.

Cammy stopped and impatiently fidgeted as she waited.

" I sorry about this. She really likes the marker for Kari's grave. But this is actually a pretty cemetery, as much as they can be pretty." Yolei apologized.

The man smiled gently, " I know, my brother is buried here."

Yolei felt her heart constrict, " Oh Ken, I'm sorry." She took his hand in hers, "Are you okay?"

" It was a long time ago." Ken shook his head.

" That wasn't what I asked." Yolei insisted.

" Mommy!" Cammy stamped her foot. " Angel!"

" We're coming sweetie." Yolei assured Cammy and picked up her pace. 

The three walked through the rows of graves.  The child would run ahead, then stop and wait for the adults, they would catch up and she would run ahead again. Finally they reached a grave marked by an angel statue, which held a tiny stone that reflect the light.

Cammy hugged the bottom of statue, " Hello Angel!"

Yolei smiled wistfully, " She loves this statue." Her thoughts drifted a bit as she stood there reading the marker. **" ****Kamiya Hikari. The blest child that died too young. May her light shine down from heaven upon us all."**

Cammy looked up at Ken, " Daddy, ice cream?"

Ken smiled and picked her up, " I think we can go get ice cream." He kissed her head and whispered, " I love you Cammy."

" I luv yu Daddy." She gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

***

Yolei got back to her apartment about 7:30 that night. Cammy rushed by Yolei clutching her infamous blue-bunny.

" Uncle MATT!" She squealed looking for him.

Matt swooped the child off the ground and spun around in a circle. " How's my Cammy?"

" We went to see de angel and Daddy boughts me ice cream and we saws the tiger at da zoo and dey said GGGRRR! And Mommy and Daddy swung me and I rans and Mommy yelled and I seen the angel and I gots ice cream on my shirt, but Mommy cleaned it off." Cammy excitedly explained to her uncle.

Matt blinked twice, trying to process everything she had just said, " That's great sweetie, I'm glad you had fun. Why don't you go see Aunt Mimi?"

" 'K," She ran off.

" Have fun?" Matt questioned.

Yolei took a deep breath, " Why do we always have to fight about this? Look I'm keeping him away from you and TK, but don't ask me to keep Cammy from her father."

" It was just a question." Matt defended.

" Oh bullshit." Yolei hissed, " I don't want to go through this every time I go out with him."

" I don't know why you're even dating him; he almost killed you." Matt growled.

Yolei folded her arms over her chest, " He's changed."

" You honestly believe that?"

" No, I'm exposing Cammy to her sadistically evil Father in the hope that she follows in his footsteps." Yolei snapped. 

" Not funny, Lees." Matt rubbed his temple, " I know you love him, but, Yolei, I don't understand why."

" Do I need a reason?"

Matt sighed, " I still hate him for what he did to TK and I'll never trust him, but I'll lay off it for you."

" Thanks Matt." Yolei hugged him and called out for her daughter, " Cammy, it's bedtime."

" NO!" The angry child's shout rang through the apartment.

***

" So what do you see?" Came the sultry voice through the earpiece.

Cody Hida chuckled and snapped a few pictures, " A whole lot of nothing."

The voice sounded a little confused, " Isn't that what you want?"

" Yeah, it is, but it isn't." He rubbed the base of one of his horns.

" Baby, you're not making any sense."

Cody sighed and looked out over the hill he'd been sitting on. " I know." He pursed his lips before sighing again. " I'm supposed to be here doing surveillance, but there's nothing here."

" You knew the job was boring when you took it. Besides, you know the Izzy said he didn't have a clue what you should be looking for."

Cody snapped a few more pictures of the landscape. " It still hasn't healed yet." He muttered before hearing typing from his earpiece. " Something going on?"

" No, all the readings look normal. Why?"

" I heard typing. What are you up to?" Cody climbed up the side of another ridge.

" Just checking the football scores in America. Hey, we're a thousand U.S. dollars richer." Her voice sounded a little happier than before.

Cody grunted as he pulled himself on top of a rock, " I thought we agreed: no more gambling."

" We also agreed no more toys. That game-cube isn't gonna pay for itself." Her voiced sounded more amused as she added, " Besides it's only gambling if you don't know the outcome."

" One of these days, that gift is gonna fail ya." Cody caught some movement over to the left and shifted to get some pictures. It almost looked like human figures. "Solitaire, are any of the others here?"

A few clicks sounded before she answered, " No. You're the only one. Do you see something?"

" I might. I'm gonna get a few shots." Cody zoomed the lens and caught a glimpse of what looked like a tall humanoid type digimon, and a much shorter companion. " I'm heading back I want to look at these pics." 

" Okay."

***

Cody found the port and transported back into the real world. His girlfriend was sitting at the other computer in the room.  She pulled her glasses off and her black eyes shinned, in the dim lights. Solitaire was Egyptian, an exotic beauty for sure, but what attracted Cody was the fact that she was as introverted as he was.  She had joined the school and instantly became an outcast; that suited him just fine, it had placed her in his crowd.  She was a year older, which had come in handy, they had moved in together the second she'd turned eighteen.

She inclined her head to the side and ran her hand through her spiked black hair. "Why are we analyzing me?"

Cody rubbed his forehead and sarcastically informed her, " Sorry, your beauty over-came me." 

" Cute." She curled up her lip. " So what was bothering you so much out there?"

Cody plugged the camera into the computer. " I just thought I saw something." He turned back around to face her, " But there is something else."

She closed her eyes then opened them, " Your mother?"

Cody scowled, " Don't do that."

She smirked, " I didn't actually. She called this afternoon, wanted to know if you wanted meet for lunch this week."

" What did you tell her?"

" That you'd call her."

Cody nodded.

Solitaire crossed the room and sat down on his lap leaning her forehead against his. " What's wrong?"

" I want you to meet her." Cody sighed, rubbing her arms.

" Okay." She smiled softly. " I'll even wear decent clothes."

Cody laughed, " Yeah as much as I like this red-thing, I think my mother would drop dead at the sight."

" It's called a corset." She kissed him softly, but the computer beeped to announce that all the pics were downloaded.

" I have to check these, sorry." He apologized.

She hopped off his lap, " It's okay. I've gotta call my bookie anyway."

Cody rolled his eyes, and brought up the visual program. He quickly shifted through the first few without too much alarm.  He was nearing the end of the files, when he pulled up the shots that he'd taken just before leaving.  The first one was too blurry to make out anything, but the basic colors of black, blue, and red and two shapes.

" Death." Solitaire's quiet voice warned behind him.

Cody was used to her simply phasing out at times, and just nodded. " You want to sit down?"

She blinked and sat down next to him, before commenting dryly, " Nice focus."

" Thanks." He changed the picture and gasped. " Get on your laptop and get a hold of Izzy."

She grabbed her small laptop and started it up. " What's going on?"

" I think I recognize this digimon." Cody pointed to the screen.

Solitaire wrinkled her nose and tugged at the stud on the side of it. " It looks more like a vampire to me." She looked down at her computer and started to type.

" Myotismon." Cody whispered, before jumping out of his chair. " Screw the comp. Do we have his number?"

Solitaire stood up and pulled out the address book from the shelf, " Baby, what has got you so upset?"

" That digimon was one of the first that the original destined had to face." Cody started looking for the phone.

She reached under the couch, pulled out the phone and handed it to him. " So? There were two shapes in that picture; shouldn't we try to figure out what the other one is?"

Cody stalked back over to the computer and clicked on the next image. His face lost all color and fell to the ground, still conscious, but his expression was blank.

" Oh god, Cody? Are you okay?" She knelt next to him and touched his forehead. " Cody? Cody! Look at me!"

Cody blinked and started shacking.

" Cody?" Solitaire's voice started to crack, from her concern. She looked up at the computer screen and all she saw the creature he had called Myotismon and a young woman.

Cody looked at her, " Call, Izzy tell him to get over here, now!"

" Alright."


	2. Tuesday

Tuesday 

Izzy knocked on the door of the apartment, hoping the occupants had good reason for dragging him out of bed. Then again the panicked sound of Solitaire's voice didn't leave much hope that this wasn't serious.

Solitaire opened the door, wearing a black sweatshirt, which announced: "Abortion is homicide" and a pair of black sweatpants. The apartment was as usual, a mess, but unlike the normal blaring alternative rock the background was strangely silent. "Hey Izzy. He's in the living-room, come on in."

" Hi Solitaire, it's nice to see you again." Izzy followed her into the other room, where Cody was sitting with his back to the computer screen, clutching a drink.

Before anything could be said, Cody rasped out, " Just tell me it isn't her."

Izzy looked at Solitaire, but she just shrugged her shoulders. " What are you talking about, Cody?"

" Look at damn computer screen and tell me it's not her." He breathed out and took another long drink of whatever was in his cup.

Izzy looked at the computer screen; Myotismon was the first thing that registered in his mind, than he looked at the second figure in the picture. _'Oh god, it couldn't be. It isn't possible.'_

Solitaire watched Izzy react about the same way her boyfriend had. She drew a deep breath and looked at the picture again. There wasn't anything unusual about the girl, and she didn't seem to be hurt. Her eyes were a crimson color and her hair was light brown.  " Who the Hell is she?" Solitaire finally barked out.

Cody shook his head and took another drink. " It can't be."

Izzy opened and closed his mouth a few times. " I…it…can't…be. It looks just she would…if…"

Solitaire was getting very worried; she now had two incoherent men on her hands. " Izzy, who is she?"

Izzy looked at her, " It looks like, Ka…"

" NO!" Cody yelled and threw his glass across the room. " I SAW HER DEAD! I WATCHED…. watched…them bury her." Cody broke down crying.

Solitaire jumped down beside him and cradled him as he cried. She looked into his eyes after he stopped and understood exactly why he'd been so upset.

Izzy was looking at all the other pictures, when Cody stood up and wiped his eyes, the two looked at each other.

" We need to get a hold of Joe and Taylor." Cody informed his friend.

" I know. Give me the phone." Izzy held out his hand and dialed the number it was answered almost immediately.

" Hello Kido residents." Came Taylor's whispering voice.

" Taylor, this is Izzy." He could hear a door open than close. _'She must be going into one of the other rooms.'_

" Hi Izzy, what's going on? Why are you calling so late?" She questioned a little louder now.

" I kinda need to talk to Joe." Izzy admitted.

The woman on the other side of the phone sighed heavily, " Is it really important? He just got back from pulling a double shift."

" I thought he was done with ER work."

" He was. They needed help tonight." Taylor paused, " But what's going on? You sound really upset."

" Taylor, I hate to ask this, but do you know anyone that does grave robbing?" Izzy questioned, drawing shocked looks from both of the people in the room with him.

Taylor started coughing violently, " Izzy, don't do that to a pregnant woman."

" It wasn't a joke."

Taylor clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, " If you need money. I'm sure your wife can give you some."

" It's not a money thing."

" Well," Taylor sounded a little more nervous, " you usually don't rob graves, it's usually the crypts. They usually have more stuff and it's harder to get caught. But Izzy, what's this about?"

" Taylor. Do you know anyone?" Izzy persisted.

" Ya I do." She sighed. " Why, what's this about?"

" I need to make sure Kari is still buried." Izzy answered.

Taylor chocked again, "Oh god! I don't even want to know. I'll get you the number tomorrow."

" Now, Taylor." Izzy ordered.

" Fine, you don't have to snap. What's this got to do with Joe?"

Izzy rubbed his temples, " I need a _medical opinion_ on something."

" Get an objective source.  Don't put him through this." Taylor growled.

" I'm already being put through this! Don't preach at me! I need the number Taylor, and the name."

" His name is Genesis, you can reach him at 1-456-897-9856. Tell him you're a friend of me and Justice, than he'll help you."

" I'll get a hold of you, when I need Joe. And Taylor, you may want to prepare him for this." Izzy warned her.

Taylor was now clearly upset, " No _problem_, Izzy, Bye." She hung up the phone and walked back into the bedroom, where her husband was peacefully sleeping.

Izzy dialed the next number and prayed that this Genesis-person would be there.

***

Mimi sat on the bathroom floor, her stomach in her throat. _'Please no.  If I have any mercy saved up, please.  I'm not ready, please no.'_ She picked up the small white tube and felt her head spin. "No." She whispered. A knock on the door, made her jump a mile high.

            " Mims? Are you okay?" Matt's concerned voice came from the other side of the door.

Mimi glanced up at the door and thanked her lucky stars it was locked. " Yeah, sweetie. I've just got a stomach ache."

Matt rattled the door handle, " Are you sure?"

Mimi threw everything from the kit into the bathroom travel bag she kept under the sink. She stood up and opened the door, she managed an I'm-really-sick smile and whispered, " I think I just need some rest."

Matt gave her second look, before ushering her into bed. He lay down next to her. " Do you want me to stick around and take care of you tomorrow?"

" No, I'll be okay. I think I'll call Sora to help me take care of Cammy though." Mimi let him touch her hair and was literarily fighting to keep the tears out of her eyes.

" All right than. Goodnight, Mimi. I love you."

" I love you too." She managed in a quiet strained whisper.

***

" I'm going to rot in Hell for this." Cody muttered standing over the grave.

The man known only to them as Genesis charged $3000 to help them dig up the grave, and within two hours of the call they were all at the cemetery, watching his crew unearth Kari's coffin. He looked critically at the top of the alabaster box. " This has been dug up before." He informed his clients.

" Did you do it?" Joe half-growled. He was not a happy person; he'd been dragged out of bed and thrown onto an emotional roller coaster.

" Nope. I would have recognized that angel statue." Genesis answered with no malice.  He snapped his fingers and the crew lifted the coffin out of the ground. He handed Cody, Izzy, and Joe each a white clothe, " You'll need these."

Each of the men in the crew took a deep breath and they removed the coffin lid.

Izzy looked down into the coffin and saw what he feared he would see: nothing, but the white sundress they had buried Kari in complete with the gold locket. He reached down and picked up the locket.

" This doesn't even smell like a coffin." Genesis arched his eyebrow, " There is dust on this dress. The body's been gone for awhile."

" Was it professional job?" Cody questioned.

Genesis nodded, " Better than me; there only one scratch on the lid."

Izzy wrapped up the locket and handed Genesis the money. " Cover it back up. I don't anyone to know you've been here."

Cody, Izzy and Joe walked away from the gravediggers. 

Finally, Cody posed the question. " What the hell are we gonna tell Tai?"

***

Yolei sat on the floor with Cammy and TK, both of whom were coloring.

Matt was finishing buttoning his shirt. " TK, come on buddy it's time to go to class."

TK looked at his drawing a little longer, than handed it to Yolei, " Miss Yolei keep picture safe for TK?"

" You bet I will." Yolei carefully took the picture from him. " Cammy, tell TK, Aunt Mimi and Uncle Matt bye-bye."

Cammy scrambled up from the floor and hugged TK. " Bye-bye TK. Cammy luv yu."

TK didn't hug her back but smiled at her, " TK love Cammy too."

Cammy toddled towards Matt first, " Bye-bye Uncle Matt."

" Bye, little Princess." Matt hugged her, picked her up and kissed her.

Mimi took her from Matt, and gave her a squeeze, " Take care of your Mommy and go to bed like a good girl." Mimi set her on the ground.

" Bye-bye! Bye-bye!" Cammy waved as the three adults left the apartment.

Yolei placed TK's picture on the table and looked at her daughter. " You want to talk to Daddy before you go to bed?"

" NO BED!!" Cammy stomped her foot.

Yolei smirked, " Than you can't talk to Daddy."

Cammy half twirled in place. " Okay."

" Okay. That's better." Yolei picked up her daughter and got her dressed for bed.

" Boo-bunny! Cammy needs Boo-bunny!" Cammy looked around for her toy.

Yolei looked under Cammy's little bed, which was barely a foot off the ground, and picked up the treasured toy.  The poor stuffed animal had been a first birthday present and the first present she'd gotten from her daddy.  The soft, floppy blue bunny was missing an eye, and a few patches of fur, but he was still loved. " Here he is, Cammy." 

Cammy squeeze her toy and looked expectantly up at her mother. " Call Daddy!"

Yolei smiled, " All right." She picked up the phone and started to dial.

" 1-945-779-8764." Cammy recited.

" Good job sweetie." Yolei touched her daughter's head, while she waited for the familiar voice.

" Hello Ken Ichijouji."

" Hi Ken. She wants to talk to you." Yolei smiled softly, as she sat down on the bed and picked up her daughter.

" Okay." 

Yolei held the phone up to Cammy's ear. " It's your Daddy."

" Hi Daddy!" Came the child's happy voice.

" Hello Angel. Are you being good for you mother?" Ken asked her.

" Yesh!" She rocked a little in her mother's lap. " I drew pictures with TK today."

Ken could feel himself smile. " What kind of pictures?"

" Of me, and you and Mommy and Aunt Mimi and Uncle Matt and TK and a puppy. Cause I want a puppy." Cammy answered.

" Is that so?"

" Yesh. Will you get me a puppy?" Cammy pleaded.

Yolei looked down at her daughter, " Cammy, we talked about this. Mommy said no."

" Okay." Came her defeated little voice, before sounding hopeful again. " Toy puppy?"

" We'll see. Okay now you need to go to sleep, now." Ken quietly urged her.

" Okay. Night Daddy. I luv yu." Cammy kissed the receiver.

Yolei chuckled softly and got ready to tuck her into bed.

" Goodnight Cammy. Sweet dreams. I love you too." Ken echoed quietly.

Yolei put the phone to her own ear; " I'll call you later. Love you."

" You too."

Yolei hung up the phone, and pulled her daughter under the covers.

After she settled under the covers, Cammy folded her hands and announced. "Jesus, please bless Mommy and Daddy and Aunt Mimi, and Uncle Matt and TK and Uncle Davis and Uncle Cody and Aunt Soli and Aunt Sora and Uncle Tai and Aunt Taylor and the baby in her belly and Justice and Uncle Joe and Aunt Lexi and Uncle Izzy and my puppy. Amen."

" Amen." Yolei kissed her forehead and stood up to walk away.

" I prayed for the puppy just in case." Cammy told Yolei.

" To sleep." Yolei ordered.

" Okay." Cammy hugged her bunny and closed her eyes.

***

" We need to do something." Cody growled as he looked at the two other men sitting at the table with him. " I can't believe we haven't done anything yet."

" Do what?" Izzy questioned. " We can't tell Tai until we've got some idea what happened."

Joe shook his head, " This can't be happening. Could it be the camera angle?"

" Do you want to look at the pictures again?" Cody threw his arms up, as Joe closed his eyes and looked away.

" Why don't you let me study them?" The red-haired woman in the corner asked. "Izzy, I study pictures for a living, granted it's for fashion reasons, but I didn't know Kari that well. It isn't gonna hurt me as bad to look at them." She crossed the room and picked up the picture envelope.

" Thank you." Izzy caught her hand and gave it squeeze before letting her walk out of the room.

***

Yolei hit the redial button.

" Took you a little longer this time." Ken's amused voice informed her.

" I had to do the dishes." She answered. " So how was your day?"

" Long." He sighed. " How does Saturday look?"

" Hmmm… I'm supposed to be going out to my brother's for a dinner, but you could come." Yolei crashed into one of the chairs in the living room.

" You promise your brother isn't going to try to skewer me, _again_." Ken demanded.

Yolei smirked, " Sorry that was my fault. I didn't tell him who you were." She giggled at bit at the memory.

" That was not funny." Ken informed.

" Oh, yes it was. He didn't even touch you." She patronized.

" Not for lack of trying." He complained.

Yolei opened her mouth when she heard a small thud from the direction of her daughter's room. " I think your daughter inherited my grace. I think she just fell out of bed." Yolei stood up and walked up to the door.

" Is she okay?"

" Well I can't hear her crying, so that means she either purposefully got out of bed, or she slept through it."

" Is that possible?"

" It's happened." Yolei opened the door and noticed her daughter wasn't in bed or on the floor in front of the bed. She carefully backed out of the room and whispered into the phone. " She's hiding again. I'll put her back to bed than call ya. Love you."

" You too."

Yolei set the phone down then walked back into Cammy's room calling out, "Now where is that Cammy? Is she under here?" Yolei pulled up the covers and looked under the bed, but nothing was there but a few toys. " Not there." She continued her lighthearted voice as she headed towards the closet, " Is she in _here_?" Yolei flung open the doors and was again met with nothing.  Yolei could feel her heart thudding against her chest. " Cammy Sweetie, Mommy's worried; come out now. Cammy! Cammy! Where are you?" Yolei started searching desperately for her child.

***

Matt Ishida shifted in his seat as someone else was sharing their story. This class was a type of support group that help family's deal with, withdrawn children. He hated being here, but TK seemed to be doing well, so who was he to complain?  His cell-phone started vibrating; it was the apartment number. He motioned to Mimi that he was slipping out than hurried into the hallway.

" Hello." He answered not really sure what to expect.

" Matt?" Came Yolei's panicked voice.

Matt instantly stood up straighter. " Yolei? What is it? Is Cammy alright?"

" I can't find her!!" Yolei screeched on the other side of the phone. " I've searched the whole apartment! I can't find her!"

" I'll be home in a few minutes. Try to stay calm. And call the police." Matt ordered. He walked back into the class and pulled Mimi off to the side. " Something wrong. Yolei can't find Cammy. I'm going to take a cab home, get TK and take the car home."

Mimi nodded, " Matt, do you think someone took her?"

Matt clenched his fists, " I've only got one guess."

Mimi watched Matt storm out the door and she went over to TK, " TK sweetheart, we need to go home early."

TK simply nodded and followed Mimi out the door. Once they got in Mimi dug out her cell phone and dialed a number she never thought she'd be calling.

The voice that picked up sounded a little panicked. " Is everything okay?"

" Huh?" Mimi was caught off guard by the instant reaction. "Ken?"

" Who is this?" Ken's voice instantly dropped a few degrees.

" This is Mimi Tachikawa." She pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street.

Ken sounded very confused, " Miss Tachikawa? Is something wrong?"

Mimi ground her teeth before answering, and silently begged Matt to forgive her. "Yolei called Matt in a panic, she couldn't find Cammy."

" What do you mean couldn't find her?!?" Ken demanded.

" I'm not really sure. I just thought I should warn you that once Matt gets Yolei calmed down, he's coming after you." Mimi turned the corner a little too fast.

" 25 miles per hour is too fast, Miss Mimi." TK reminded her.

" Thank you." She muttered at him.

" Why should come after me?" Ken questioned.

" Because he thinks you took her." She answered.

" Why would I take my own child?"

" This is Matt's logic we're talking about." Mimi looked before turning the next corner. " I just thought you might want to come over and comfort Yolei. Now you need to wait at least an hour, this way everyone else will be arriving and I'll just let you in." 

" Why are you being so kind to me?"

" Because my friend loves you."

***

Solitaire adjusted the sleeping child in her arms.

" I'm sorry about that." Taylor apologized, more for her five-year-olds interest in Solitaire's nose stud, than his falling asleep on her.

" It's okay." She rubbed the top of the boy's head.

Izzy and Lexi were sitting in the very back of the Kido's min-van as the group made their way to Matt, Mimi and Yolei's apartment.

Cody, who was sitting in the front with Joe lamented, " Oh god, they know."

" Know what?" Solitaire questioned.

" They don't know anything." Izzy assured the younger man.

" Know what?" Lexi now interjected.

" That wasn't anything in the damn coffin." Joe muttered.

" You went through with it!" Solitaire hissed mindful of the sleeping boy on her lap.

" Went through with what?" Lexi put her hands on her hips and looked at her husband. " Went through with what? Does this have something to do with those pictures of that girl that looks like Kari?"

" What pictures?" Taylor inquired.

" The pictures I took in the digital world. Pictures of a woman that looked so much like what Kari would have looked like if she'd grown up, that we paid someone to dig up her grave and there wasn't anything in the coffin, but the dress and necklace that we buried Kari in." Cody answered.

" Whoa." Taylor breathed out.

***

By the time they walked in the door everybody else was there. Tai and Sora were sitting next to each other on the couch, Davis was holding a still hysterical Yolei, TK was drawing pictures at the kitchen table, Matt was shacking the hand of an officer and Mimi was headed in their direction. " Welcome." She muttered softly. " Joe, you can put him down on me and Matt's bed."

Joe nodded and carried Justice down to the bedroom.

Solitaire shifted uncomfortably.

" What is it?" Cody questioned.

" There's a bad feeling in this house." She whispered back.

Matt lead the officers to the door and everyone sat down in the living room. When Matt came back he drew in a deep breath, " I'm sure everyone knows why we're here."

Before anyone could stick their feet in their mouths, Lexi interjected. " Actually we don't. All we were told is that we have an emergency."

" Someone took my baby." Yolei cried out, clinging to Davis.

There was a knock on the door and Mimi stood to answer it, as Matt quickly counted everyone in the room.

Mimi opened the door and ushered the blue-haired man into her home.

Ken winced at the sound of Yolei's cries. " What happened?"

" We don't know." Mimi's eyes filled with fresh tears. " It's like she just vanished."

" Mims, who was…" Matt trailed off as he got a look at Ken. " Get the hell out of my house!"

" No." Ken started walking towards the living room, but Matt grabbed his shirt.

" I said: GET OUT." He threatened, slamming the younger man against the wall.

Ken twisted in Matt's grip, " Cammy's my child why would I take her? I love Yolei. I wouldn't put her through that!" Ken jerked away from Matt, who was being tugged at by Mimi.

" Yolei needs him." Mimi hissed, " Knock it off."

Matt released Ken, but looked at Mimi like she'd betrayed him.

Ken stepped into the living room and froze, TK looked up at the same moment and the two-made eye contact.  The room froze as everyone literally held their breath, finally TK just looked back down at his drawing. Ken felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, but his heart tightened as he turned to see Yolei.

Davis looked up at him a little unsure, the last time they had actually seen each other was when they had fought in Ken's old fortress. Davis nudged Yolei gently and she looked up at Ken and whimpered. Davis stood up and touched Ken's shoulder allowing him access to Yolei.

Ken sat down next to Yolei and cradled her against him as she sobbed he could feel tears of his own burning in his eyes.

Matt folded his arms over his chest and Mimi grabbed his arm. " Will everyone excuse us for a minute." She marched them into the kitchen and stood toe to toe with him. " Matt, drop it!"

" He doesn't belong here."

" _His_ daughter just got kidnapped."

" I don't want him here, TK…"

" TK didn't even notice him! He doesn't recognize him! Drop it! Cammy is _his_ daughter, not yours." Mimi felt tears burn her eyes and she looked away. " Just be civil until this is over." She pleaded.

The couple re-entered the room and proceeded to sit as far apart from each other as they possibly could.

Yolei quieted a bit and looked up and Ken with a tearful expression.

" What's her name registered as?" Taylor questioned, as she rested her hands resting on her slightly swollen stomach.

" Inoue." Ken answered, already knowing where the streetwise woman was going with the logic. " Not many people know she's mine."

Lexi shook her head in argument, " You've got a piss-poor PR rep. A gossip show ran a story on you last night and included shot of you, Cammy and Yolei."

" It couldn't be ransom." Solitaire assumed. " They haven't asked for anything."

" They usually wait at least 24 hours. Let the family sweat." Taylor explained.

Yolei whimpered again and leaned against Ken for support. " We are on the 10th floor, I didn't hear anything."

" If it was a professional than you wouldn't have." Taylor shook her head.

" Whoever this guy was his got to be good." Davis complained, while tugging at his medallion. 

" What if he's not human?" TK muttered from his seat next to Matt, who almost collapsed in shock.

No one dared make a big deal out of TK's outburst the first time he'd done something like that; everybody had tried to get him to say more and he wound up back in hospital.

Izzy tapped his finger against his forehead,  " Actually that isn't such an impossible scenario."

" Are you suggesting a digimon?" Tai questioned in disbelief.

" Why not?" Lexi shrugged, " Ken made them miserable before, it'd a be a perfect revenge."

" Digimon aren't vengeful." Sora argued.

Izzy took a deep breath, " What about some of the evil ones we met before." Everyone stilled for a moment before Izzy spoke again. " I guess that Cody and Solitaire can check out the human leads, and Davis could you take the digital world?"

" Sounds like a plan." Davis looked at Yolei, " Don't worry, Lees, we'll find her."

" I know you will." Yolei tried to smile.

Joe looked at Izzy accusingly. " Izzy the pictures."

Cody glared at Joe angrily.

" What pictures?" Mimi wondered. " Pictures of what."

" An old enemy." Cody answered. " I saw Myotismon on my last surveillance run."

" It was more than that." Joe prodded.

" Drop it Joe. We aren't sure." Cody growled.

Joe stood up, " They deserve to know."

" Not until we're sure." Cody jumped out of the chair.

" Show them the pictures, Cody!" Joe insisted.

" No." Cody's eyes narrowed.

Tai stood up and got between the two, " Guys calm down. What's this all about?"

Izzy stood up and threw the pictures down on the coffee table. " These."

Tai picked up a picture and feinted.

" TAI!" Sora dropped down near his head. She checked his pulse than picked up the picture. " Please." She whispered hoarsely as her tears began. " Tell me this is joke."

Cody shook his head, " I didn't want him to know."

Matt grabbed one of the pictures, " This isn't possible. We found her body. We buried her."

" There's no body in the grave." Joe whispered.

Sora started bawling, Mimi dropped to her knees, and poor Yolei mercifully passed out from the stress.

***

Sora winced as she walked into the back room of the shop she ran out of her home. The scorch marks on the wall were fresh; but when she tested them she noticed they were cool to the touch. She shook her wings out behind her, before drawing them around her like a pink cloak. Tai was beating a punching bag, every hit was getting slower as he ran out of energy. He finally flopped to the ground in exhaustion and look up in her direction.

" Tai…" She began softly.

" Don't, Sora." He cut her off. " I don't want to hear it. I know killing myself isn't going to help, and I don't care."

" Tai, it's been almost 10 years since…"

" It's been 7 years, 9 months, 1 week and 6 days since we lost them both." Tai growled softly and ran his hand down his face.

" But we got TK back." Sora offered trying to cheer him up a little.

Tai pulled himself off the floor with an angry grunt. " You tell yourself anything you want, but that isn't TK! That is a shell that Matt clings to because he can't accept the fact that his brother is dead! He doesn't really know any of us! He learned all of our names! He thinks of us as separate people! I won't accept it! It's not true!" He started shacking and looked at his wife helplessly, " I buried her, Sora. I held her cold body in my arms. I carried her home." He broke down crying and Sora wrapped her arms around him trying to comfort him.

" I know, Tai. I can't explain it. We'll get through this somehow. Don't give up on me now." Sora tipped up his chin and kissed his forehead.

The couple sat on the cold floor for a while, just being in each other's presence. Sora sneezed suddenly, drawing Tai's attention.

" Come on, we should probably get some rest. I'll have a lot of ground to cover with Davis tomorrow." He stood up and offered Sora his hand.

She allowed him to pull her to her feet, but gave him a confused look, " I though you weren't going back anymore."

" I've got a reason; I want answers." Tai kissed her cheek and the couple started down the hall.

Sora's thoughts wandered to that blurry picture she'd picked up earlier that night. _'Please Kari, if that's you; if you are alive out there, you better have one hell of an excuse for putting us through this, and really good explanation for your poor brother.'_

***

Davis turned his key in the door to his apartment; he opened it slowly and glanced over at his sister, who was sitting on the couch. " You didn't need to wait up."

Jun walked over and hugged him " I didn't know where you were. You said you were gonna be home around eight, I was worried."

Davis hugged her back. " You didn't need to worry about me."

Jun walked over and sat back down on the couch. " I'm an older sister: worrying is in the handbook they give us when you rug-rats are born."

Davis laughed and sat down next to her. " Nice to know I'm cared for."

Jun hugged him again, " You've always been cared for, especially by me. So what's bothering you?"

" Let's just say if I still drank, I would probably have emptied a bar by now." Davis sighed and leaned against the back of the couch.

" Davis, look at me." Jun looked into his eyes. " I haven't seen you this upset in forever. What happened?"

David stood up, fresh tears in his eyes, " Cammy got kidnapped earlier tonight."

" Oh my God! Do we know who did it?" Jun gasped.

" Would I be here, if we did?" Davis questioned.

Jun closed her eyes and caught her brother's hand, " Davis, there's something else bothering you. If you can tell me…"

" Do you remember that summer that changed everything?" Davis suddenly blurted out interrupting his sister's plea.

" Davis, I'll never forget that summer. It was awful, for everyone involved. What has you thinking about it now?"

Davis shook his head, " I'm sorry Jun; I can't tell you yet."

Jun smiled and hugged him for the third time that night. " It's okay I understand. Now go get some rest."

" Night Sis. I love you."

" I love you too, Davis."


	3. Wednesday

**Wednesday:**

Joe woke up unsure of what had disturbed his sleep, than he noticed his wife wasn't in bed. He stood up slowly and walked through their open bedroom door. He could see her silhouetted in the light of the hallway standing in front of her son's bedroom. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. " What is it Taylor?"

" I couldn't sleep." She admitted quietly. " I was afraid that someone would take him. This whole thing has me really shaken up."

Joe looked in on the Justice, who was contentedly asleep. " He's just fine."

" So was Cammy before they took her. It only takes like two minutes to pull off a kidnapping. What if they hurt her?" Taylor felt tears fill up in her eyes.

Joe led her away from the door. " They won't. Come on, you need to sleep. This isn't good for you or the baby."

Taylor sighed and allowed him to lead her back, " Since when are you optimistic?"

" Since you needed me to be." Joe answered.

Taylor winkled her nose, " I seem to remember you telling me the last time I was pregnant that I was going to lose the baby because of blood loss."

" I didn't know how stubborn you were yet. I'd just met you." Joe defended. "Besides, you had quite the head-wound if I recall correctly."

" Do you ever think about that night?" Taylor sat down on the end of the bed and looked uncertainly at him.

Joe chuckled softly, " Whenever I see Chris at the hospital. If I hadn't taken his shift, I would have never met you."

Taylor wrapped her arms around his waist, " I might not have made it you know; I only fought that hard to spite you."

" Hmm. I doubt that." Joe laid his hand over Taylor's stomach. " I love you."

Taylor smiled up at him, " I love you too and so does she."

Joe looked down at Taylor, " You're sure it's girl."

" Without a doubt." She assured him.

" Woman's intuition I suppose."

" No, I asked Solitaire."

***

It was 2 in the morning, when Ken carefully removed himself from Yolei's sleeping arms. He quietly walked out of her room and peered into the kitchen; Mimi was sitting at the island sipping from a coffee cup. She looked up at him, with bloodshot eyes. Everyone had left hours ago, each trying to deal with the information they'd been hit with.

" Help you?" Her quiet voice questioned him.

" Bathroom?"

" 'Cross the hall from ya." She looked back down at her coffee cup and found it empty. She stood up slowly and put some more water into her kettle. After turning the kettle on, she felt a presence behind her. She looked at Ken with a sympathetic gaze, "Tea?" 

" Sure." 

Mimi grabbed another cup and another tea bag. She poured hot water into each of the cups and handed him one of them.

After they both sat at the kitchen's island, Ken noticed the shirt Mimi was wearing. It had the same airbrush pattern of one of Cammy's, but hers had "Everything" written across it.

Mimi looked down, and smirked, " Matt brought us each one. Cammy's with 'Little Princess,' Yolei's with '#1 Mom,' and this one's mine." 

" Is it hard for you live with them?" Ken asked her.

" Yeah it is. I mean I love Yolei and Cammy to death, but…" Mimi trailed off as tears started to fall from her face. " But he treats Cammy like she's his. I'm afraid he won't love his own child as much." Mimi half-sobbed.

Ken fought to keep the shocked expression off his face, and as awkward as it felt to him, he reached out and touched her hand. " I'm sure he will. Does he know yet?"

Mimi shook her head sadly; " I don't know how we cheated it this long; we've been living together for about five years.  I just don't know how to tell him."

" May I ask you a question?"

" Sure."

" Do you plan on getting married?"

Mimi sighed, " Depends on who you ask. Matt _says_ he's going to have to make me an honest woman one day. My parents think I should have been married years ago. And I've always said that I don't care as he doesn't leave me."

" But you do." Ken guessed.

" Of course I do, but Matt's afraid of marriage. His parents were divorced when he was young and he's afraid to make the same mistake."

" You should tell him." Ken sipped his tea.

" I will once we're speaking again." Mimi half growled. She stood up and walked into the living room.

Ken followed her not sure of what else to do; he looked at the mantle and caught sight of the pictures. The first one he looked at was one of Matt and Tai both holding their younger siblings upside down. " What happened here?"

Mimi smiled wistfully, " Oh, that was the last picnic we were all at. Kari started tickling Tai so he grabbed her and held her upside-down and when TK tried to help her Matt copied Tai's idea. I honestly don't know how Matt held TK long enough to take the picture. TK was almost as tall as Matt at that point."

Ken touched the corner of the picture, " What do you think?"

" I'm trying not to." Mimi took a small picture from the back and handed it to Ken. 

Ken was looking at a much younger Mimi surrounded by whom he assumed to be the first generation digi-destined. " Nice hat." He smirked.

Mimi playfully huffed. " I loved that hat; I don't see why it's such a big joke."

" You had brown hair?" He questioned looking at the picture a little more critically.

" Mahogany, actually and I had chocolate-brown eyes." Mimi took the picture from him and put it back. " I miss that. Do you know how hard it is to be taken seriously when you have pink hair?"

Ken shifted he was unused to conversations with these people. " Couldn't you dye it?"

" Dye will only covers it for a few days, than it's back to pink." Mimi wrapped her arms around her stomach. " I'm afraid for my baby."

Ken touched her shoulder, " Cammy was born just fine."

Mimi sighed, " She's a genius."

Ken shook his head, " She's just a normal little girl."

" She has your phone number memorized. Most two and half year olds don't know all their numbers."

" She's just intimating."

Mimi shook her head; " I just hope she's okay, wherever she is."

" I'm sure she is. You need to get some rest."

" So do you." Mimi surprised Ken by giving him a hug. " We'll find her." She pulled him away and shooed him towards Yolei's room. " I need to take care of the dishes; go to bed." She took his cup and walked into the kitchen.

When she walked back into the hallway, they both stood by the doors they needed to go through.

Ken looked into her green eyes, " Why are you so kind to me?"

" You've asked me that already today. I'm only going to give you the same answer. My friend loves you and I want to care about you for her sake." Mimi opened the door and walked into her bedroom.

***

Ken walked into Yolei's room to find her already awake. She looked up him the reflection from the city lights causing her tears to stand out even in the dark room.

" Yolei?" Ken questioned, as sat down on the bed next to her.

" I thought you left." She admitted touching his arm.

Ken touched the side of her face, " I would never leave you. I _had_ to get up, than I wound up talking to Mimi."

" You talked to Mimi?" Yolei asked mystified.

Ken half-chuckled, " She's very nice. She's not out to…" Ken trailed off as Mimi's shrill angry shout echoed through the house.

" Get out of my room!"

"This _our_ room!" Matt argued.

" Not tonight! I have never seen you act so childish!" Mimi insisted.

" God you're siding with _him_!" Matt accused.

" Yolei needs him. _His_ daughter got kidnapped! I am not having the conversation with you until morning! Good night!" Mimi slammed the door and angry footsteps could be heard as Matt trudged into the living room.

Ken looked at Yolei worried, " I'm causing problems."

" No they do this about twice a month." Yolei assured him.

" Twice a month?"

" Yep exactly after her parents call." Yolei suddenly felt her eyes fill with tears. "I want my baby." She started sobbing.

Ken wrapped his arms around her as he felt himself start to cry as well. " I know. I know."

***

Solitaire finished writing in her journal and glanced over at the clock it was almost 3. She stood up and stretched her arms over her head. The white satin fabric of her nightdress was nearly weightless, even though it reached her ankles.  She glanced in the mirror; she didn't wear much white, but it had been a gift from Mimi, and it did look nice on her, so she didn't complain. She pushed open the windows before flopping back down on the bed.  She had just relaxed again, when the door opened. Her eyes flew opened and she glanced over at her exhausted lover.

" How far did you get?" She questioned sitting up to get a better look at him. "You look like shit."

" Thanks." He threw off his coat and muttered miserably. " I only made it to the river."

" You've been gone a long time to have only gotten to the river." She inclined her head to one side and arched her eyebrow. " If you went and got high its okay I have a baseball bat beside the bed." 

" You know I don't do that anymore." He growled, before his expression became pained. " Not since…"

" It's alright." Solitaire walked over to him and touched his arm. " I already forgave you."

" I hit you." Cody brushed his fingers over her right cheek, as if he could still sense the bruise.

Solitaire wrapped her arms around him. " And I forgave you. Leave it at that. Come on to bed."

Cody stiffened and pulled away from her. " I can't relax. This is just too unreal. I mean we might found someone we lost, but we've lost Cammy."

" We haven't lost or gained anyone, yet." She folded her arms over her chest. 

Cody stood next to the open window and let the breeze blow against him. " I miss it you know? I miss being able to see my mother. I miss my grandfather. I miss being a kid."

" I know you do." She slid her arms around his waist and leaned against him. "Believe me no one understands that better then me. You _can_ go see your mother though. She still lives in the same place."

He nodded and lift her chin, " You're prettier without all the make-up. Why do you wear it?"

Solitaire shrugged, " First it was just expected, than it was to fit in with your crowd and now I do it for the same reason you dress the way you do: to avoid conversation whenever possible."

Cody sighed, " It's just too hard."

" You think I don't know that?"

" I know you do. Why didn't you go back to Egypt when you got the chance?"

" Would you have come with me?"

Cody turned his head away. " No."

Solitaire smiled wryly and tapped his cheek to get his attention. " Then you know why I stayed. I just can't give you up." She tugged at his shirt, than pulled it over his head. " Come on to bed. I'll get you calm enough to sleep for a few hours."

" Thank you."

***

_*Begin Flashback_

_Matt called the others as they entered the main chamber of Ken's fortress. "Come on I think I can people talking."_

_" Leave her alone!" Came the familiar voice from somewhere in the distance._

_~Gatomon? ~ Matt thought confused, before it made perfect sense; this is why Yolei wouldn't leave. " Guys, I think I heard Kari's Gatomon."_

_Tai shook his head, " There's no way."_

_Matt argued, " It makes perfect sense; Yolei told me she had to go back. If that's her it explains why."_

_" We'll see." Tai conceded before looking at two of the others. " Davis you and Cody take the passageways and make sure Ken doesn't escape."_

_The two nodded and ran off in opposite directions._

_The rest of the group ran through the main doorway. Matt kept his eyes focused on the horizon, just in case the Kaiser was anywhere to be found._

_Mimi screamed and drew his attention to her._

_" What is she okay?" Matt demanded._

_" She's unconscious, but I think she's okay." Mimi answered before pleading to him. " Matt, you need to come over here."_

_Matt walked over and noticed the second human body. ~He had another prisoner? ~  As he drew closer he was shocked to see the form of his brother. He dropped to his knees in shock and touched the younger boy's shoulder. " TK? It's Matt." The face held no recognition, but the odder thing was that it wasn't TK's face looking at him confused it was Kari's."_

_End Flashback*_

Matt sat up and inhaled sharply. His whole body shook as he attempted to steady his breathing. He felt a soft, cool hand on his overheated, sweat soaked shoulder. " I had…" He chocked out.

" I know." A soft voice assured him, as familiar arms pulled him to a familiar body.

He cried softly against her shoulder, the pain that had never healed was stinging fresh with the advent of the dream and the day's events. " I hate that dream." He whispered against her skin.

" I know." She answered again threading her fingers in his hair, trying to sooth him.

He pulled away and looked at her. " It was different. I saw Kari this time."

" It makes sense. I mean with everything that happened today." She rationalized.

" He isn't getting better." Matt admitted despondently.

" He will." She drew him into another hug.

Matt trembled in those well-known arms, " He doesn't know me."

" He's learning." She kissed the top of his head. " Come on, you need your rest. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

She helped him stand up and gathered up the blankets he'd been using.

" Mims? I thought you were mad at me." His voice sounded so unsure as he looked into her green eyes.

" I don't really care, anyway. Come on, Love, I'm not gonna be able to sleep without your arms around me, anyway." Mimi took his hand led him into their bedroom.

***

Izzy stared at the picture on the computer screen in hopes that he could find some inconsistency that would prove it wasn't Kari.  A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders as another body leaned against his.

" You know," The slightly amused voice in his ear informed him, " most women would be upset at their husbands for getting out of bed to look at pictures of another woman."

" This isn't funny, Lexi." He half growled.

She pulled away and sat down in the chair next to him her eyes displaying her agitation. " I wasn't implying it was, but I don't see why you're still looking at it. We both know it's her."

" I was hoping to find something that would prove otherwise." Izzy answered dejectedly.

Lexi sighed, " You know better than that. The last thing we need to be doing is disillusioning ourselves."

Izzy stood up angrily and threw one of coffee cup on his desk into the wall.

Lexi jumped at the sound, but seemed more annoyed than frightened. " Feeling better?"

He didn't answer or look at her.

Lexi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly she looked up as a thought dawned on her, " You think Kari's appearance has something to do with Cammy's kidnapping."

Izzy ground his teeth together, " It makes sense. We haven't seen Kari for over seven years and the night before Cammy is kidnapped Cody takes a picture of Kari and Myotismon standing next to each other."

" You think this digimon turned her evil?" Lexi sounded unconvinced. " Kari held the crest of Light I doubt she'd go against her crest. And why take Cammy; she's just a baby." 

" Seven years is a long time. Besides Myotismon wasn't the strongest digimon we faced and he knows it, Cammy may just be shield." Izzy walked over to the shattered cup and bent over to pick up the pieces.

 " Leave it. The maid will get it in the morning." Lexi said, walking over towards him. She frowned softly and thread her arm around his, before leaning against his arm. "You're going to need rest for tomorrow. They're going to be counting on you."

" I know. Come on, we can probably get a few hours of sleep, before the phone rings,_ again_."

***

The shrill ring of the phone snapped Yolei out of her troubled slumber. She grabbed the receiver and pulled it up to her ear. " Hello?"

Ken, who was now awake as well, sat up next to her, straining to hear anything that might be said on the other end of the phone.

" Is this Miss Yolei Inoue?" The near automated voice asked.

Yolei tensed up, " Yes, speaking."

" How old is your daughter? You did report her missing last night did you not?"

Her heart seized up in her chest, " Yes I did. She's two and half."

Ken was looking at Yolei trying to figure out what was what upsetting her so much.

" Alright I'm going to transfer you to Detective Martins."

" Why?" Yolei demanded shrilly, but the transfer music was already playing.

" What is it?" Ken asked concerned evident in his voice.

" They wanted to know how old Cammy is and now they're transferring me to some detective." Yolei answered before biting her lip.

" Miss Inoue?" A kinder, male voice questioned.

A knock on the door sounded at the same time. " Yolei, who are you talking to?"

" Yes this is she." Yolei answered.

Ken turned towards the door. " You can come in. She's on the phone with the police."

Matt and Mimi walked into the room and stood near the doorway.

" Miss Inoue, your daughter is about two and half is that correct?" The detective questioned.

" Yes! Why do you people keep asking me that!?!" Yolei half-screamed.

Ken touched her arm in support.

" Miss Inoue I'm going to send an officer to come escort you downtown." The Detective informed her.

" Why? Why the Hell do you want me to go downtown?" Yolei started crying. "She's dead isn't she!?!"

Ken prided the phone away from Yolei. " Hello this is Ken Ichijouji, I'm Cammy's father. I think you should be straight with us. Where exactly do you want us to go?"

" Mr. Ichijouji, I really don't think that you…" Detective Martins attempted to argue.

" Detective, please just tell me." Ken requested.

" Sir, I'm really not supposed to do this, but since I have a feeling I'm not going to win this argument: we found a little girl this morning. This child seems to match the description of your daughter." The detective relayed.

" Where do you want us to meet you?" Ken asked, his face losing some of its color.

" I'll be sending someone to take you or Miss Inoue, whomever is the child's actual guardian, down to the morgue." The Detective informed Ken before hanging up he added. "I'll be seeing you within the hour."

Ken's face lost all color and he covered his mouth with his hand.

Yolei looked at her boyfriend's reaction and assumed the worst. " She's dead. I knew it."

" What did he say?" Matt quietly asked.

Ken took a deep breath and looked at Matt tears already coursing down his face. "He said they found a little girl this morning and she matches Cammy's description. I have to go with the officer when he comes."

Yolei started sobbing uncontrollable and threw her arms around Ken. " I want my baby."

Ken was crying too, though he was a little calmer than poor Yolei. _'Please God. Not my little girl. She hasn't done anything.'_

***

Mimi walked back across the living room, her arms wrapped around her stomach and her face contorted in a scowl.

Sora Kamiya sighed from where she was sitting on the couch. " You keep that up and you're going to meet your downstairs neighbor."

" Oh well, he's cute." Mimi muttered distractedly.

TK started laughing quietly, before he looked back down at his drawings.

" Laugh it up, just like your brother." Mimi spat at the younger boy, who simply laughed again.

Sora looked at Mimi and mouthed, 'Does he usually listen that much?'

Mimi shrugged and mouthed back 'Depends.' She then resumed her pacing.

" Have you told him yet?" Sora questioned.

Mimi looked confused, " Told who, what?"

Sora shot her friend an annoyed look. " You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Mimi bit her lip, " Is it obvious?"

" Only because I know you that well. You always tug on your earrings when something's wrong with you physically, although I don't know if this is actually something wrong per say."

Mimi stopped fidgeting with her earrings instantly. " I don't know how I feel about it yet, the less he knows the better."

" He'll figure it out eventually." Sora pointed out to her friend.

" I know, I know, but you know him, Sora. You know how he'll take this especially if Cammy's hurt or worse." Mimi flopped into an armchair.

" You still need to tell him."

" I will…eventually." Mimi admitted.

" Chicken." TK piped up from the table.

" I'll make you eat liver if you keep it up." Mimi threatened.

TK stuck his tongue out and made a face.

" Just kidding buddy." She smiled, before she looked back at Sora. " I can't stand all this waiting."

" Do you know where they were going?"

" Not for a fact." Mimi scowled.

" So Matt went with them?" Sora deduced.

" Yeah he wanted to be there, in case they needed someone."

" Cammy come home soon?" TK asked innocently.

" I hope so." Mimi stood up and stretched.

" Where she go?" He looked at Mimi inquiringly.

" I wish I knew." Mimi walked over and stood behind him. " Can I see what you're drawing today?"

TK looked down at his paper for a long time, before finally nodding and pushing it towards her.

Mimi looked at a near photo quality picture of Patamon, " Is this Patamon?"

TK started violently shaking his head back and forth.

Sora gasped, but Mimi was used to the outbursts and simply rephrased what she said calmly. " Is this a friend?"

TK stopped his action and started rocking slowly.

Mimi touched his back trying to comfort him " You tired?"

TK nodded and allowed Mimi to lead him back into his bedroom.

When Mimi came back into the living room, Sora looked at her concerned. " Is he okay?"

" He will be; we have to keep believing that or we'll lose all hope."

***

Ken stood inside the silent room with an older detective. Yolei was standing outside the room with Matt shacking in fear.  Ken had never been so terrified in his life. He didn't want his daughter to be dead, but it might be better than months of not knowing.

" Now your daughter had a kinda of lavender colored hair didn't she?" The detective was asking.

Ken nodded wordlessly.

" Well what these kidnappers usually do to those kids with really striking features is they try to cover them up.  So, this little girl has her head shaved; I just wanted to warn you.  Are you ready?"

" Is anyone ever ready for this?" Ken questioned.

Yolei could see Ken through the glass-window of the door. She cursed her own cowardice as she watched him nod to the detective.  She had made him go in by himself, she knew if it was Cammy she would have to see the body, but otherwise she wanted nothing to do with that room. Her baby had to be alive; this couldn't happen. To her horror, she watched Ken collapse to his knees.

" NO! NO!" She screeched and broke away from Matt's grip.  She tore open the door and ran inside as the detective closed the crypt. " I have to see her! I have to see her! LET ME SEE MY BABY!!"

Ken grabbed her and held her against him, " It isn't her, Yolei. It's not Cammy."

The couple started sobbing half in joy for themselves and half in sorrow for the parents who would find their little girl dead.

***

" So, they got call this morning from the cops that turned out not to a real lead?" Izzy questioned his wife as they sat going over the pictures and readings they had.

" Yes, but it was a good thing since they went down to the morgue. Plus Davis and Tai didn't see a thing this afternoon when they were in the digital world." Lexi rubbed her eyes. " Are you hungry? I mean we need to eat at some point."

" Have Cody or Solitaire called?"

" They haven't gone out yet. The people they'll be dealing with don't rise until 8 at night." She reached over and grabbed her cell phone and her address book, " What do you want for dinner?"

Izzy snorted, " Answers."

" If you eat them, they won't do you any good."

" You aren't as funny as you think you are, Lexi."

" You can usually take a joke." Lexi glared at him, before touching his arm. " I know your upset, but this is the only way I can deal with everything. Give me a break okay?" She pleaded.

" I'm sorry it's just hard with everyone looking for answers I can't give." Izzy sighed and leaned back against his chair.

" This is about the merge again isn't it?" Lexi paused and Izzy looked away from her. " Izzy, you have to let it go. It wasn't your fault; you couldn't have known what was going to happen."

" I should have been ready. God, Lexi, those people trusted me. I let them down."

Lexi hugged him. " No you didn't. Things happen; no one blames you."

" I do."

" Then stop. If we can forgive Ken for what he did purposefully, than we can forgive you for whatever it is you think you did. Let it go."

***

Yolei sat on the couch holding one of Cammy's toys; she looked up at Ken and a tear escaped her eye.

" I'll be back in a few hours." He assured her, touching the side of her face and wiping away the tear. " I need to go answer my messages and let my company know I'm going to be unreachable."

" Okay." She nodded and hugged him tightly, " Just don't be gone to long."

" I won't. I love you so much." He spoke into her hair as he clung to her more tightly "We'll find her I promise." 

" I know we will." Yolei let him go and called out to him before he door. " I love you too."

He smiled quickly and vanished out the door.

" You okay; I mean all things considered." Mimi asked coming up behind her friend.

Yolei shook her head, " I don't know. The waiting is killing me. I mean I feel so terrible. Someone has to go to that morgue and see their baby dead. What if…"

Mimi hugged her tightly, " Don't say it. Don't think it. We have to keep hope alive."

" Hope!" TK called out loudly from where he was sitting on the couch.

" That right, TK." Matt thumped his brother on the shoulder. " We got to keep our chins up."

" Can you give me something so I can sleep?" Yolei requested. " I'm so tired, but I know I won't be able to sleep. I think I probably should lay down and rest since I have my senses about me momentarily I think I'll take advantage of it."

" I can give you some of my cold medicine, that'll wipe you out fast." Matt got a bottle of water of the 'fridge and two small blue pills than handed them to Yolei.

" Thanks." Yolei took the pills and walked to her bedroom. " When Ken comes back…"

" I'll be nice I promise." Matt guaranteed her.

She smiled softly, and went to lie down.

TK started clucking like a chicken.

" Buddy what are you doing?" Matt questioned.

TK shrugged and pointed at Mimi.

Mimi just looked confused.

Matt smirked at Mimi, but spoke to his brother, " She's not telling me something huh?"

TK laughed and nodded.

" So what is she not telling me?" Matt asked Mimi.

" Nothing you need to know about just yet." She dismissed any concerns.


	4. Thursday

**Thursday:**

It was 3:00am when Taylor's alarm rang out her wake up call. The sleepy woman forced herself out of bed, pulled on her bathrobe and went to the bathroom. She eventually made her way to the kitchen and started frying up some rice. She sang quietly to herself, an old tune she could remember her father singing to her.  She was almost finished cooking when the front door unlocked.

" Taylor, what are you doing up?" Joe questioned, as he walked up to her and hugged her. " You shouldn't be up you need your rest."

Taylor kissed him and smiled, " I'm fine; I went to bed after Justice. Besides, I figured you'd be hungry and I know Cody and Solitaire will be when they come by later."

Joe groaned and leaned against her wrapping his arms around her waist. " How much later?"

" Probably not more than a few minutes. They've been in and out of clubs all night. They're probably exhausted." Taylor answered before yawning. " Don't start; I only got out of bed fifteen minutes ago I'm trying to wake up."

" You need to sleep more." Joe chided.

" I will; once this whole thing is over." Taylor assured him.

" Taylor, all this stress isn't good for you."

" I know. I know. Don't worry so much." Taylor laughed turning around and draped her arms around his neck.

Joe smiled and kissed her softly, " It's my job."

Taylor rolled her chocolate colored eyes, " You need to get cleaned up, and I'll finish cooking."

" Are trying to get rid of me?"

" Sweetheart, you've been working ER all night and you smell like it. Go take a shower." Taylor shooed him out of the kitchen.

" Fine, fine." Joe walked down the hallway towards the bathroom.

***

A knock rang out against the door and Taylor hurried to answer it. She glared at the couple for a moment, " Sleeping child, please do not knock to wake the dead." She took a more critical look at the couple, " Speaking of dead I'm glad Justice isn't awake you'd give him nightmares. I hope you didn't scare your contacts."

Solitaire flashed her tongue spike at Taylor before smirking, " No they're much scarier."

" And a lot less friendly." Cody added in a growl.

Taylor took their coats and hung them up. " I see you're in wonderful spirits. Joe's in the shower, but he should be out soon. Oh, and I have food for you guys."

Solitaire smiled, " I knew there was a reason I held you in such high esteem."

" Are they ready to eat?" Joe stuck his head out from the kitchen.

Taylor jumped, " Don't do that; you scared me. Why'd you take such a fast shower?"

" Taylor, I'm tired; the sooner we get this over with the sooner I can sleep." Joe sighed.

" Okay, okay. To the kitchen, let's figure out what we figured out." Taylor moved the younger couple into the apartment.

After everyone, except Taylor had a plate of food, Joe posed the questioned. "So what did you figure out?"

" Nothing." Cody shoved a spoonful of food into his mouth.

Solitaire took a sip of her water before adding. " Most of them said no one would cross Ken. He put an notice out a couple years ago, back when he was still the emperor, that if anyone crossed him the consequences would be Hell."

Taylor folded her arms over her chest. " And it's still holding?"

Cody answered, " Apparently he made one very convincing example."

" Ouch." Taylor grimaced. " What about…"

" No one would want to kidnap a kid like Cammy: to high-profile and too unique. She'd be too easy to identify." Solitaire stabbed her fork down against her plate. " It's more likely a revenge thing."

" Who? We're worse off now then we were." Joe lamented.

" And added to our problems, Davis and Tai didn't see a thing earlier today." Cody finished off his food.

" What are we going to do?" Taylor sighed, " I mean we've got no leads and I doubt the cops are going to be much help."

"  Actually the one advantage we have that if it is a human, Ken has the kind of money that will keep the cops on track." Solitaire pointed out.

" We better hope so. I mean we've already long passed the twenty-four hour mark on this thing, the longer there's no word the more likely it is that she's dead."

" Cody! Don't say that, I know it's possibility, but putting it into words makes it worse." Taylor wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively.

" Sorry Taylor. I'm just tired." Cody apologized. " And the whole thing with Kari isn't very comforting either."

" What do you mean?" Joe questioned.

" Come on Joe, Kari appears and Cammy vanishes. That is too much coincidence for me." Cody thumped his hand on the table.

" Sleeping child." Taylor growled.

Joe furrowed his eyebrows. " You think he turned her."

" Seven years is a long time." Solitaire offered. " Izzy called me this morning, he wants to work on stuff with me tomorrow or later this morning which ever way you prefer to see it."

" So you think he's come to the same conclusion." Taylor assumed.

" Makes sense; the only ones who won't see it are the ones that refuse to." Cody said.

" Maybe so." Joe leaned against Taylor.

She smiled sadly at him. " Go to bed. I'll finish up here."

Joe nodded and bid his friends goodbye.

Taylor looked at the others. " This is too much for him."

" Not to mention your baby." Solitaire warned.

" I go in for a stress test tomorrow; we'll see what the doctor says."

" Didn't you have one of those last month?" Solitaire questioned.

" Yeah, my numbers were too high, she wants to do another one."

" Make sure you tell her what's going on or you could be on bed rest." Cody chuckled.

" It won't matter if my numbers are too high I'll be on bed rest anyway." Taylor shook her head. " Okay since I _need_ my rest, if we don't know anything else…"

" Goodnight Taylor." The couple said and Taylor ushered them to the door.

After letting them out she cleaned up the kitchen and went back to bed. 

***

Solitaire clicked her fingers along the keys as she looked over the program Izzy was showing her. She yawned and reached for the cup of cappuccino that she'd brought with her. " Going on four hours of sleep is not good for you. So what am I supposed to be seeing here?"

Izzy looked over shoulder for a moment. " These are the recorded power patterns from the digital world."

" From how far back?" Solitaire pulled out a notepad and pen.

" I started this program after I got back from our first adventure. It was supposed to record the energy patterns and alert me to anything that hadn't shown up before. It doesn't work." Izzy explained.

Solitaire opened the scripts for the programs, " These seem to be just fine. How do you know it doesn't work?"

" Because otherwise the merge wouldn't have happened." Izzy snapped.

" All things happen that are supposed to." Solitaire quipped as she opened the last script. " There's nothing wrong with these, they seem to have worked every time, but the merge…that could mean…" She trailed off as she started checking over the recordings.

" Mean what?" Izzy inquired, " I've looked over them a hundred times, there's nothing there."

" I think you've looked over it too much. You needed a fresh set of eyes." She clicked a few more keys. " The patterns match."

" Match what." Izzy leaned over her shoulder to see what she was talking about.

" Right here." She pointed out, " These patterns: it looks like the digital world refreshes itself every so many years and repairs the damage that's been done to it.  The energy pattern that surfaced at the time of the merge matches those refreshing times. But according to this that energy hasn't come around since."

" That's impossible."

" My theory or the fact that you haven't seen it."

" Both. I mean why would the merge have happened if these patterns matched? It doesn't make any sense and yet…" Izzy looked at the screen for a few more seconds before dropping into the chair next to her. " I guess I needed a new set of eyes. I should have had Yolei come look at it."

" Does she program?"

" She used to; perfected this one."

" I see." Solitaire cracked her knuckles.

Izzy sighed and stood up, " We're going to be at this for a while. Do you want something to eat?"

" Yeah, just some fruit if you have any." Solitaire requested.

" You're going to have to be more specific, my wife eats like a fruit bat we have any fruit known to man." Izzy smirked.

" Just a pear or something I can eat with my hands." After he left a quiet beep rang out from the system. Solitaire looked over at the computer to see a tiny light on the digital map. It appeared to be a symbol, like Cody's crest, but Solitaire didn't recognize it. She cross-referenced it to the crests that the computer would recognize and her mouth dropped open. There on the screen was the Crest of Light, flashing with all brilliance to show that its bearer was awakened and using their power. 

Izzy walked back into the room and looked at the screen; he blinked than drew a deep breath. " Call the others our problems just got worse."

***

Yolei paced back and forth in her room.

" Yolei, this isn't doing you any good. Just sit down and try to rest." Ken tried to comfort her.

" You don't understand. I can't rest until I find my baby."

" She's my daughter too, Yolei. I miss her just as much as you do."

" You weren't there when she was born, you aren't around her twenty-four seven." Yolei seethed.

" And whose fault is that?" Ken stood up and glared at Yolei.

There stood there for just a moment looking at each other, the hours of worry and frayed nerves were coming to a head.

" You hit me, you would have hit her." Yolei accused.

" You still haven't forgiven me for that? God, Yolei, what haven't I done trying to make up for that? If you still don't think I changed then what the hell is the point of me being here. Cause I'm sure not welcome, if you don't want me here, then why should I stay." Ken growled.

" You made me a doll."

" You didn't exactly fight that."

" I was your slave!"

" Are you going to hold that against me forever? I thought you forgave me."

" Should I have?"

" What kind of question is that?!? If you don't think I've changed what is the damn point?!? We're right back to where we started!"

" It's not like I …" Yolei trailed off as the door opened and the couple looked at Matt, who was standing in the doorway. Yolei ran to him and basically hid behind him.

Matt looked down at her, " You want me to get rid of him?"

Yolei shook her head, but announced. " I want to go for a walk."

Matt nodded and glared at Ken as lead her out of the room and gathered their coats.

" Matt? We were talking." Mimi interjected quietly.

" I'll be back." He answered and he and Yolei left the apartment.

" Of course you will." Mimi growled and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Ken looked at her, "Is it always like that?"

" Yup." Mimi pursed her lips and stormed into the kitchen.

" Then why do you stay?" He asked.

" It's getting to be for TK anymore; the change would be bad for him." Mimi slammed the dishes into the dishwasher.

" Do you still love him?" Ken whispered.

" Yes. I wish I didn't. It would make everything so much easier."

" Would you leave?"

" No, Yes, oh I don't know. I hate playing second fiddle to anyone, but I suppose there are worse things."

Ken shook his head. " You shouldn't sell yourself short. Matt's a fool to do this to you."

" And Yolei is a fool to let everyone else dictate her relationship." Mimi added. "She loves you, she really does. She should have married you already if she wasn't so worried about everybody else."

" I'm a little different."

" True, but it doesn't make it right." Mimi wiped off her hands and looked up at him. " Do you know what happened the day Kari died or whatever happened to her?"

" Not really." Ken rubbed his temples, " I saw her body and than I found TK unconscious. So I took him back to my tower. I noticed the energy wave that hit before the wave actually hit and I left. The rest is history."

" The twisted the tale that it is." Mimi sighed and looked out the window. " You love them don't you?"

" More than life itself. Yolei is the reason I changed. I don't know what I would have become if it wasn't for her." Ken ran his hand through his hair. " I just wish I could comfort her right now or do something fix this."

" We all do." Mimi jumped as the phone rang. " Excuse me." She picked up the phone. " Hello. Izzy slow down I can't understand a word you're saying…what about a crest…okay I understand…Matt's out with Yolei as soon as they get back we'll be over…Bye." Mimi hung up the phone and glanced at Ken. " They spotted Kari's crest on the tracker. There's no doubt now, she's alive."

***

They'd been walking for twenty minutes when Matt looked at Yolei, " So what was that all about?"

Yolei just shrugged and stared at the horizon in front of her.

" Yolei, you can't just take all this out on him." Matt shoved his hands in pockets.

" Why not? He caused all this. Since when do you take his side? I thought you hated him." She looked up at him confused.

" I do, but I don't. It's kinda hard to hate someone going through this." Matt exhaled deep breath. " I guess I just wanted someone to blame for everything and he became my target. Not that knowing that means I'm going to be his buddy."

Yolei snorted, " He's arrogant as all hell at times."

" So am I." Matt justified. " Besides, _when _we find Cammy the last thing you should do is exclude him from his daughter."

" I just want my little girl." Yolei sniffed. " The tears just won't stop."

" They will; eventually." Matt looked up at the sky and felt a raindrop on his face. "Come on we should probably head back. I need to talk to Mimi."

Yolei nodded and turned around. After ten minutes of silence she finally admitted. " I want to marry him next summer, no matter what happens with Cammy. As long as we know one way or the other."

Matt sighed, " It's your decision."

" Matt, I want you there and smiling." Yolei insisted.

Matt wrapped his arm around her shoulder, " I'll try, but I think of you as my little sister and I don't think he's good enough for you."

" You wouldn't think anybody's good enough for me." Yolei pulled out her key and opened the door to the apartment building.

" True, true." Matt held the door for her and they walked on the elevator.

They reached the door and heard Mimi growl, " I just wish, just once that I could take priority. Like I used to. I mean I used to mean something. Now I'm his damn servant."

Matt winced and Yolei looked like she was going to start crying all over again. Matt opened the door and looked at Ken and Mimi. " We miss anything?"

Mimi jumped up from where she was sitting, " Yes, a lot. TK, Matt and Yolei are back it's time to go."

" Go where?" Matt questioned.

" Izzy and Solitaire spotted Kari's crest this morning. It was active, which means she's alive. We're all meeting over at Lexi and Izzy's." Mimi answered pulling her coat on and buttoning it.

Yolei walked over to Ken and whispered, " I'm sorry, I just…"

He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. " I know me too."

The group walked out of the apartment; and headed towards the garage.

" So the crest of light showed up? Are they sure it's her?" Matt inquired.

" That isn't something you can fake. Besides they're sure…" Mimi began.

" Kari! I will see Kari!" TK announced.

" Who knows; maybe." Matt supposed.

TK stopped in his tracks and in a voice that held all the clarity of someone his age he said: " I will see Kari. She's alive and I know it." 

***

" I know Gatomon, is trying to keep this place quiet, but I'm going to die on the way there." Tai grunted as he hiked over another hill.

Davis, who was keeping pace beside Tai, chuckled, " I thought the original, fearless leader of digi-destined was up to a little hike, besides you didn't have to come along."

Tai sighed heavily, " I wouldn't classify this as a little hike. And as for coming with you, I didn't feel like waiting for Matt and the others, they can take forever. I can't believe we didn't think to ask Gatomon earlier, it was the easiest answer."

" Obvious oversight, this isn't exactly something we're used to dealing with." Davis shrugged his shoulders.

" Is anything in our lives classifiable as normal to deal with?" Tai pointed out exasperated.

" Point taken." Davis shook his head, " I wish I still drank."

Tai laughed, " You and me both." 

The pair continued their hike until they reached another plateau, where they saw wispy-gray smoke rising in the distance. The scent of burned earth, rose eerily over the land, and filled the two men with dread.

" This is not a good sign." Davis muttered.

" That's after-smoke, whatever was burning has burned itself out, let's go see if there's anything left." Tai growled and trudged forward.

***

It didn't take them long to reach the heap of ash, which had previously been Gatomon's Haven for digimon: the ones that were trying to fix the scarred land. Tai threw a rock at the pile of ash. " Damn-it!"

Davis knelt down to inspect the land around the mound, " These are electric burns."

" Does everything in our lives have to turn upside-down at the same moment?!?" Tai started looking for signs of life among the rubble.

" That's the way it's always gone." Davis commented before jerking his head up. " Who's there?"

A smaller flaming digimon came out from a rock; she looked nervously at the destined.

" Nitramon, what happened here?" Davis asked her.

" Myotismon destroyed the Haven, he came with the Light-bearer." The quiet digimon answered.

" You mean Kari?" Tai questioned.

Nitramon shrugged, " I do not know names, but it was the Light-bearer."

" Where's Gatomon?" Tai continued.

" Gone; she was taken by the Myotismon. Those other digimon, who were chosen by crests were taken as well. Taken beyond reach forever."

Tai shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

Davis looked at Nitramon, " What happened during the battle?"

" I do not know. I was gone, when it started. It was like Gatomon knew her death was coming." Steam rose from the digimon's cheeks as a few tears escaped her eyes. "When I arrived her friends had just fallen and Myotismon and the Light-bearer came. I thought she was one of you."

Davis felt tears gather in his own eyes, " We aren't sure about that right now. Are you sure it was the Light-bearer?"

" All digimon know her; her power is great." Nitramon explain.

" Was there a young one with them?" Tai suddenly asked.

Nitramon shook her head, " No; no young ones since Primary's destruction."

" Nitramon, he means a young human child. One with lavender hair and dark blue eyes, a very tiny human child." Davis explained.

She shook her head again and other digimon began to move towards the mountain ridge. " I must go lead them away from here."

" Why? There shouldn't be anymore threat." Tai tried to reason with the young digimon.

Nitramon simply started to follow the others; " There is nothing for us here anymore." She made it another few feet before turning around to look back at the two men. " Know this Courage bearers, the little one was carried by Fuzzymon. Myotismon and the Light-bearer are keeping her until the world sends out its life energy."

***

" How long have they been gone?" Matt questioned as the group settled in the living room.

" They should be getting back soon." Izzy folded his arms over his chest and sighed, " and I think it we should hold off explaining everything until they get back."

" Can we please just get a basic idea? I don't know how many more shocks I can take." Yolei pleaded as she leaned against Ken.

Solitaire nodded, " Kari's crest is active, which means she's using her power."

Mimi suddenly looked at Izzy, " But why did Tai and Davis go into the digital world with no leads to follow?"

" They went to talk to Gatomon." Izzy answered.

" Something we probably should have thought of in the first place." Cody growled.

" But what good would it have done? Gatomon thought Kari was dead to begin with, didn't she?" Solitaire rationalized.

" I hate to be rude or selfish, but why are we worry about this? My baby is still missing!" Yolei drew a shaky breath to keep from crying.

Suddenly a loud bang sounded against the wall. The group turned and looked at Justice, who had thrown his game against the wall in anger.  Taylor stood up and walked over to her son. " Hey, we talked about that."

Justice stuck out his lip and stomped his foot. " It's a stupid game!"

Taylor ushered her son to a chair, " Yes, but you still shouldn't throw things.  Time out for five minutes, I'll tell you when you can get up." She walked by over to the adults and sat down in the armchair, " I hope my next one inherits her father's temper."

Davis and Tai walked in from the computer room. " We've got some bad news." Tai announced sadly and looked at Joe and Izzy. " Gatomon and most of the others at the Haven were destroyed."

The two men, whose partners were lost, closed their eyes and took a calming breath.

" But we also have bad/good news." Davis fidgeted, before continuing, " Lees, we know where Cammy is."

Yolei grasped and pulled her hands over her mouth. Her eyes held a bit of hope as she questioned, " Where?"

" Myotismon has her. He and Kari destroyed the Haven." Davis told the group.

" How do you know it was Kari?" Sora questioned.

" Nitramon told us.  Izzy she mentioned something about the world's life-energy or something like that. Do you know what she's talking about?" Tai questioned.

Izzy sighed, " Nitramon tends to talk archaic, which makes her difficult to understand. She's probably referring to the refreshing."

Taylor stood up and started walking to the bathroom.

" Taylor?" Joe questioned.

She waved her hand dismissively and continued to walk to the bathroom.

" Okay so Myotismon has Cammy. What are we waiting for?" Ken demanded.

" You aren't going." Matt snapped.

" Like Hell I'm not she's my daughter."

" We don't know if we can trust you."

" I'm not asking you for your trust, but you're not leaving me behind."

" Or me." Yolei interjected.

" Yolei…" Ken began.

" No, I'm her mother. I'm going."

" Well, then I'm going too." Mimi challenged. " It's time the dream team got back to work."

" I will go." TK piped up.

" TK, I don't…" Matt argued.

" I will go." He repeated.

Suddenly a loud thud came from the direction of the bathroom.

" Taylor!" Joe jumped, ran to the door, and jerked it open. " Someone call an ambulance!" He knelt down beside his wife, who was bleeding from her head. " Taylor? Taylor, can you hear me?"

" What's wrong with Mommy?" Justice questioned.

Solitaire picked up Justice and carried him away from the bathroom. " It'll be okay Justice, don't worry."

***

The ambulance arrived and the emergency team placed the unconscious Taylor on a stretcher. Joe looked at the others. " I have to go. Solitaire, take care of Justice."

Justice was struggling in Solitaire's arms. " I'm sorry Mommy. I'm sorry."

" Joe, don't worry, we'll handle everything." Tai assured him.

Joe nodded and the doors of the ambulance slammed closed.

Matt folded his arms over his chest. " Let's go."

***

Davis, Yolei, Ken, Cody, Sora, Tai, Mimi, Matt, and TK stood in front of the computer as they prepared to transport to the digital world. Solitaire shifted Justice in her arms as she Izzy and Lexi prepared to monitor.

" Anything looks remotely odd I'm pulling you out." Izzy informed them.

The group nodded. Yolei looked up at Ken, " If you find Cammy grab her and transport out immediately."

" Okay, but the same goes for you."

The light flashed for a moment and the group was gone.

***

Soft crimson eyes looked up to sky, " All is not as it should be."

" Is there a problem my Kali?"

" That isn't my name." She informed the male digimon standing beside her.

" Kali suits you better my dark goddess."

 "Myotismon, there is no darkness in me.  My name is Kari; for I am light."__

***

_*Begin Flashback_

_He gasped for air as blood poured from his side.  Not enough to run the teleportation device, he couldn't get help.  His entire frame resonated with pain as he pulled himself forward. 'Oh the irony,' he thought bitterly. ' Here lies the digimon emperor destined to die in puddle of his blood, destroyed by his own obsession.' Ken coughed up a fair amount of blood and sank against the floor._

_A soft clicking sounded a few feet away and Ken struggled to look up into the face of Wormmon. " Don't worry Ken, I'll save you." The tiny digimon adjusted the transportation box._

_" There isn't enough power you stupid creature. I'm going to die here." Ken spat._

_Wormmon looked sadly down at Ken, " I'll save you." _

_The digimon began to glow and in a flash Ken was back in his apartment in the real world. " I don't understand." He whispered before passing out._

_End Flashback*_

Yolei's scream snapped Ken from his mental ravine. She was shacking in pain as her old scars were bleeding with the emergence of her wings. 

" Yolei?" He questioned.

" I'm fine." She snapped, spreading her wings and taking flight. "I'll scout ahead.  I'm going to find my daughter and make Myotismon pay for what he's done."

" Don't do anything rash." Tai cautioned. " You can't do this by yourself."

" You can't do this all!" A deep voice boomed over their heads.

" Myotismon! Come and face me! I'll tear you apart with my bare hands you worthless beast!" Ken screamed.

" My, my how the emperor has fallen. Worried about our prodigy are we?" Myotismon mocked.

" Where is he?" Cody scanned the area, but was at a loss as to where the voice was coming from.

" I'm close." Myotismon answered. " Now, we're going to play a little game.  The first play is mine, it's time to up the stakes a bit."

The land altered in shape and the destined were separated into smaller groups and encased in a maze.


	5. Friday

**Friday:**

" How is she?" Solitaire asked Joe.

" She's fine sort of." Joe sighed on the other end of the phone call. " The baby's fine, but Taylor's upset. She remembers Justice seeing her hurt and she wants him down here."

Solitaire looked questioningly over her shoulder at Izzy, " I don't know.  I could bring him down, but Izzy's been so upset he hasn't stopped pacing since they transported in."

" I don't think Taylor's going to rest until she sees Justice.  I guess I could run back to there for a bit."

" It's up to you. I don't want you to leave Taylor if you don't want to."

" I never want to leave her, it just becomes necessary at times.  Just bring Justice down here, I'll head over there."

" Okay, we'll be there soon." Solitaire hung up the phone.

" How is she?" Lexi questioned.

" Taylor and the baby are fine, but Taylor wants to see Justice.  I told Joe I'd bring him down to the hospital. He'll be coming up here."

Izzy arched his eyebrow but didn't respond otherwise.

" We'll hold down the fort here." Lexi smiled.

Solitaire nodded and nudged Justice, who had fallen asleep, " Come on sweetie, we're gonna go see your Mommy."

Justice yawned and allowed Solitaire to pick him up.  She stood at the door and looked back at the couple. " I'm with you in spirit."

" Thank you." Izzy responded and with that Solitaire was gone.

***

Joe looked down at Taylor, who was drugged but fighting to stay awake. "Solitaire is going to bring Justice down, but once she gets here I have to leave. Okay?"

Taylor nodded very slowly and rubbed the IV on her hand.

" Leave it be." Joe chided. " Why didn't tell me you did so poorly on the last stress test?"

She shrugged.

Joe kissed her forehead. " Don't scare me like that, Love, it isn't good for my heart."

***

Lexi watched her husband pace listlessly, return to the computer, than repeat the process. " You're going to wear a hole in the carpet."

" You can afford a new one." Izzy snapped.

" That's…" Lexi trailed off as her cell-phone rang. " Hello. What!?! When? Where at exactly? Damage report. Does the family know yet? Great! I'll be in Tokyo in an hour." She snapped the phone shut and ran into her bedroom. She emerged with her emergency suitcase and was almost to the door when Izzy grabbed her.

" You can't leave me." He whispered. " I'm terrified."

Lexi hugged him tightly. " I have to go. Sweetie, one of my models tried to kill herself, I have to go.  I need to talk to the family."

He clung to her. " Let someone else do it."

" I can't and you know it." She kissed his forehead. " I have always told you that it wasn't your fault and you can do this without me."

Izzy nodded and kissed her. " I love you."

" I love you too. Give 'em Hell, Baby." Lexi winked and ran out the door.

Izzy sat at the computer and stared in shock, the entire landscape has altered.

***

Tai rubbed his forehead and looked around the room.  Although he was alone he felt as if someone was watching him. A flash of light behind him drew his attention, and he turned just in time to see a lone figure step out of a portal.  Tears filled his eyes at the recognition of the girl. " Kari!"

Kari had changed a lot in seven years, but nothing could disguise her from her brother. Tai took a tentative step forward and whispered her name again. " Kari."

Kari's crimson eyes clouded in confusion and she took a step back.

Tai reached out for her and was shocked when a light pink shield deflected his hand. " Kari, it's Tai don't you recognize me?"

Kari narrowed her eyes at him and circled him inside her protective bubble. "Tai?" She spoke the name as a question, as if she were wondering what it meant to her.

" Yeah, Tai your big brother. Come one Kari you have to remember me." Tai felt tears slide down his cheeks. " Please Kari."

Kari dissolved the bubble and pressed her hands against his. Her eyebrows furrowed as if the answer she wanted was simply beyond her reach. " I'm supposed to know you." She looked into Tai eyes searching for some type of answer. " I'm sorry but I have no memories of you."

Tai let out a strangled sob, but when he looked up to talked to Kari again she was gone.

***

Yolei let out a frustrated cry as she threw herself against the ceiling of the room. "Damn it!" She cursed as she landed and rubbed her sore shoulder. " Ken, it isn't any weaker up there."

Ken was inspecting the south wall by running his hands up and down over the surface.

" What are you doing?" Yolei questioned.

" Patience my love." Ken muttered and his thrust his hand forward and was rewarded with the click of a door handle. He opened the door and peered around the corner, " The coast is clear, let's go."

Yolei followed Ken out but hissed to him, " How the hell did you do that?"

" It's my design." Ken growled. " I never came back remember, not even to clean up. Looks like Myotismon learned my programs."

Yolei grabbed Ken's hand and stopped him. " Wait a second, you mean this is the old fortress?!?"

" Exactly, we are in deep trouble."

" But you designed this place."

" And did my best over the last few years to forget it all."

" Well you better unforget for our daughter's sake."

***

" This would be dead-end number three, Sweetie." Mimi wiped the sweat from her forehead. She gasped and ducked as an energy blast came flying in their direction.

Matt fired an ice shot at the digimon and walked over to inspect the frozen insect creature. " I don't suppose we could ask him for directions, huh?"

Mimi rolled her eyes, " I doubt he would have told us anything. Wait a second is that a..."

" Dark ring! That Bastard lied to us! Changed my ass!" Matt fumed and punched through one of the walls.

Mimi knelt down near the digimon, " Matt, this is sloppy."

" So what?"

" Ken was never sloppy, not once.  He was meticulous in everything he did." Mimi looked at Matt, " This isn't his style."

Matt kicked a bigger hole in the wall. " We'll see, come on!"

***

Solitaire opened her cell phone and grimaced as the cab flew around another corner. " I said I'd be with you in spirit, not in cell phone."

" Solitaire, something is very wrong."

" Izzy, I know you're upset, but..."

" I'm not upset, I'm terrified. Solitaire, the emergency program isn't working. I tried to pull them out and it doesn't work."

" What do you mean isn't working?" Solitaire questioned before screeching at the cab driver, " I said New Hope Hospital! Stop!"

The driver slammed on the brakes and whipped the cab into the parking lot. Justice flew into the seat and cried out at the rude awakening. " Twenty dollars." He barked.

Solitaire collected Justice off the ground and got him out of the cab and exited herself before pulling out her money.  

Now to the cab driver it appeared that Solitaire was trying to find the correct amount of money in her purse, but what he wasn't aware of was Solitaire's skills.

Solitaire touched her dragon pentacle necklace and gasped the money in her hand, complete with five-dollar tip. Her whisper was undetected by all but whom she intended it to be heard by. " I move outside the limits of time to work my spell. The dragons help me weave the universal energy. The things that now exist become what I desire. The ties of magick answer to me. May the dragon of Judgment visit you and reveal your karma, with haunting of 4th Pentacle dragon close behind to seal your choices." Solitaire paused maybe she shouldn't do this to him.  It was only his karma she wasn't really cursing him with anything if he was good then nothing would come of it.

" Hey Elvira, I ain't got all night." He growled and spit on the ground near her feet.

Solitaire put the money into his hands and whispered. " My thanks to the dragons, great and small, who came in answer to my call. We wove the magick, wild and free, and as I will, so shall it be."

" Creepy hippy." He pulled the money away from her fingers and sped off.

Solitaire grinned before realizing she'd left her cell phone in the cab. " Back times three." She huffed, before smiling down at Justice. " Come on sweetie, let's go see your mom." 

She entered the busy hospital and rushed to the front desk. " I need Taylor Kido's room number please."

The woman behind the desk tipped down her glasses and narrowed her eyes at Solitaire. " And who might you be?"

Solitaire huffed and picked up Justice. " I'm caring for her son, who is very upset and wants to she his mother."

Justice, who was finally awake after being shifted, throw forward in cabs and dragged everywhere, finally spoke, but it came out as a desperate cry. " I want my mommy!"

Solitaire glared at the woman, who was shifting through papers on her desk.

" She's in room 607 on the 6th floor."

" Thank you." Solitaire struggled with the now crying and squirming Justice. A woman held the elevator for Solitaire who nodded gratefully before addressing Justice. "Sweetie, listen to me. We are almost there. I need you to be brave just a little longer, okay?"

Justice whimpered, but nodded and hugged Solitaire tightly.

" Which floor dear?" The woman questioned.

" The 6th floor please." Justice piped up, as he looked at the other woman while wiping his tears away.

" My, what a polite son you have." She smiled, pushing the buttons.

" No, he's not my son. I'm taking him to go see his mother." Solitaire explained as she met the woman's emerald green eyes for the first time. " Do I know you?"

The woman looked more closely at Solitaire's features. " I don't think so. At least I'm fairly sure I'm not familiar with you.  I don't think at I could forget your unique features, even at my age."

" But you aren't that old." Solitaire objected.

The elevator chimed at the 6th floor and Solitaire walked out with Justice in tow. She nodded a goodbye to the woman as she whispered. " I hope your father-in-law is alright."

" Huh?" Justice looked up at Solitaire confused at her sudden interest in someone's father. " Soli, my mom."

" Right sorry, Sweets, we're going."  Solitaire hurried down to the Taylor's room.

Joe immediately stood up and took Justice from Solitaire. " Hey Justice, look mom's okay just sleeping. She was so tired she fell asleep waiting for you, but you can sleep beside her if you want." Justice nodded and Joe set him beside Taylor, who stirred slightly.

" Hi baby." She smiled sleepily.

" I love you mommy. I'm sorry for the throwing the game."

" S'okay, Baby. I love you too." Taylor closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

Joe covered Justice with a blanket and kissed his cheek. " Night buddy. I love you."

" I love you, Dad." Justice curled up to his mother and was asleep in seconds.

Solitaire had crashed in one of the hospital chairs. " I thought you were going to leave while I was on route here."

" I was." Joe motioned to Taylor. " She kept sitting up and panicking."

" Wonderful." Solitaire closed her eyes in frustration.

" I don't think she'll do it anymore. She just really wanted her son." 

" Shit. I forgot about Izzy.  I was talking to him on my cell phone just before we got here and I left it in the cab."

" What was wrong?"

" I didn't get all the details, but something's wrong. I can feel it, it's almost tangible."

Joe pulled on his coat. " I know what you mean it's like we're maneuverable pawns in some sort of game."

" Where are you going?"

" To check things out at Izzy's." Joe paused and looked at his family. " I know what you're thinking, but I have to go. I can't explain it, but I'm needed there more than here. Stay with them, Solitaire."

Solitaire nodded and hugged Joe. " What should I say if a nurse comes in?"

Joe shrugged, " You could say you're Taylor's sister."

Her pierced eyebrow arched questioning him wordlessly.

" Kidding. Just say your Justice's God-mother." Joe was almost out the door when Solitaire called to him.

" Avoid cab 546."

" He in for bad luck?"

" That's up to him."

Joe shook his head and dashed out the door.

***

Izzy hung up the phone and rubbed his pounding temples.  He was alone trying to handle a situation that was getting worse and worse. He couldn't get into the digital world; he tried in his desperation but to no avail.  He could see where all the destined were but couldn't make contact or get them out. He started tearing through old papers. There had to be something here that could help them. " This is not going to happen all over again." He growled trying to concentrate on his current task. " I can see them, but I can't do a damn thing about anything that might happen."

***

Yolei stood on guard as she looked for anything out of the ordinary. " How's it coming?"

"Slow." Ken shook his hand, after being shocked by the apparatus he was working on. " I love that you can reconfigure things in this dimension, but the knowledge is useless if you cannot remember how to do it."

" It's odd you know. I haven't seen any guards." Yolei's hushed voice was barely audible.

" I doubt we will." Ken pulled out another wire and looked at it like it shouldn't have been in there. " I think he wants us to find him."

" He wants a fight, but that's crazy. With all of the destined here, we'd pulverize him."

" Myotismon doesn't want to fight all the destined, just me and he wants you to watch." Ken closed the case on the device. " Got it."

" Got what? And what do you mean he wants to fight you!?!" 

" Just a surprise, you'll see. Don't worry, I'll handle it." Ken smirked and looked around for a moment. " Come on this way."

" I feel like we're being dragged into this."

" We have been since the beginning."

***

Mimi cleared the next wall and looked back at Matt who was staring into seemingly thin-air. " Sweetie, what are you looking at?"

" Nothing." Matt shook his head, trying to clear his head. " I just thought I saw Kari."

" It's possible. Ouch." Mimi pulled her hand away from the open space.

" What happened?" Matt questioned walking closer to her.

" It felt like an electric fence shock." Mimi rubbed her hand.

Matt reached out and reacted the same way.

" Genius, my love, pure genius." Mimi put her hands on her hips. " Now what?"

" Not sure. I guess we see if it goes all the way around." 

Mimi winced at the thought, " This is going to be painful."

The wall beside them exploded and the couple crouched down ready to attack.

" Great job, Cody. Are you trying to kill everything in your path?" Davis' angry voice came from behind the smoke.

" Guys, get over here." Matt called out to them.

The two men came through the hole in the wall, with Sora trailing behind them.

" Where's Tai?" Mimi asked.

" And TK has anyone seen him?" Matt added.

" Neither one." Cody looked at the destroyed wall. " The field stretch across here as well?"

" Yeah." Matt glared at the wall.

Sora took off her canteen and swung it through the force field. " It only affects digital things."

" So Ken's the only one that could get through." Matt coughed, " That's awful convenient."

" Especially if Myotismon wants to face him alone." Cody pointed out.

" I don't think that's what this is all about." Davis looked up. " I mean why go through all this? Keep Kari for almost eight years, allow Ken to rule as long as he wanted to, kidnap Cammy, and go through all the trouble of bringing just us here. It doesn't make sense. He's planning something bigger than any of us knows."

Sora nodded, " That's likely the case. I think we should try to level the field."

"Meaning?" Mimi wrapped her arms around her stomach.

" We level everything we can. If we can see what's coming, we'll be ready." Sora furrowed her eyebrows, " But we need to be careful. Tai and TK are still out there."

" What about Kari and Cammy?" Matt questioned.

" We assume that Myotismon has them." Davis took a deep breath. " And hope to God that Ken and Yolei are doing better than we are."

***

Cammy squirmed unhappily and started crying. Now Cammy was a spoiled, not in the sense that she wanted everything she saw, but in the sense that she was always in the presence of people she knew.  She didn't like the big-teddy bear that was holding her and she certainly didn't like the big scary man that kept poking her. " I want Mommy!"  She cried out as pair of arms picked her up.

Cammy looked up at the lady who was holding her. She didn't know this lady, but she smiled pretty.

" Hello Angel, this is almost over I promise." The woman whispered. " Just be brave a little longer."

Cammy frowned as the woman gave her back to the big teddy bear. 

" Is this what you want?" The lady handed Cammy boo-bunny.

Cammy hugged her friend tightly and yawned, as she was suddenly very sleepy.

" You put her to sleep. Why?" Myotismon demanded of the small-framed woman.

Kari looked bored by his order. " There is no reason for her to be awake.  Her presence is enough."

" I think you have forgotten your part." The digimon attempted to grab her throat, but was deflected by the light pink shield.

" I do not forget. I have always known what I must do."

" You must stop the energy from coming, it is the only way to change things."

Kari turned around quickly, " Do you fear my power?"

" If I did I would have killed you long ago."

" Instead of saving me and leaving a mimic to take my place in the earth."

" Yes, you see. I love you and will continue to care for you." The digimon smiled gently showing off his fangs.

" We shall see."

***

Solitaire glared at the cards laid out in front of her.  This was the third time she'd read the cards and the third time they'd come out with the same six cards: Ace of Wands, Judgment, Knight of Wands, 6 of Cups, 2 of Pentacles, 3 of Swords. The pattern she had used was the Influence of the Elements, which was a five-card spread, but she always laid a sixth card for clarity. The cards were to represent the earth (the physical self), the air (the mental self), the fire (the energies of life), the water (the emotional self) and the fifth card was to represent the spiritual self. 

" This is not happening." She whispered and shuffled the cards for the fourth time. After shuffling three times she split the cards and laid the center card to represent the spirit. 

She laid her hand on the deck and continued. " I plead to the dragons of the earth and north, which are the dragons of Pentacles please protect the physical beings of my friends."  She laid the card on the north side. 

" I plead to dragons of the water and west, which are the dragons of the Cups please protect the emotional beings of my friends." She laid a card on the west side. 

" I plead to the dragons of the air and east please protect the mental beings of my friends."  She laid the card on the east side and took a deep breath. 

" I plead to the dragons of the fire and south please protect the energies in my friends lives and keep the darkness far from them."  She laid the fifth card and shuffled the deck before laying the sixth card. " Please dragons that move in and out of physical time, tell me if my friends will be safe." 

She flipped over the center card and found that it was again the Ace of Wands, which stood for new cycles and changes. She flipped the north card it was the Knight of Wands, which stood for sudden change. She flipped the west card and it was the Three of Swords, which stood for emotional upheaval. She narrowed her eyebrows and flipped the east card; it was the Two of Pentacles, which stood for harmony through change. She flipped the south card and gasped it was the same card as before the Six of Cups. She stretched out her hand and flipped the sixth card it was once again the Judgment card, which either meant karma issues or renewal.

Exhausted she sank back into the chair and tried to concentrate on what this all might mean. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. " The refreshing, it's coming. That's…" 

She jumped out of her seat and ran out of the room to use the phone. She dialed in her phone card number and tried to dial Izzy's number but all she got was a busy signal. "No! You have to know this Izzy!" She dialed his cell phone number and even tried Lexi's before she realized that she wasn't going to get through. " All needs be in place." She whispered and went back to Taylor's room. 

***

" Tai!" Sora called out as she rushed to her husband. " Honey, what happened?"

Tai hugged her tightly. " She didn't know me. She didn't know who I was."

Matt winced and turned away before asking. " Have you seen TK, Yolei or Ken?"

" No, I just Kari." Tai stood up on shaking legs.

Sora was helping him stand and she whispered something that only he could hear. Tai managed a soft smile before an explosion opened the entire they were occupying.

Myotismon stood in the center of a large circle, laughing as the destined looked around trying to adjust to the new surroundings.

Matt looked around the maze had been demolished and everyone could be seen through the invisible barrier. TK was directly across the way, completely out of reach.

Tai saw Kari standing next to Myotismon although she seemed be listening to something completely different.

Davis noticed Ken and Yolei were getting ready for something. Ken was attaching something to Yolei's arm and she tested the field; her hand went through. Davis nudged Cody and pointed out what was going on across the way.

Cody nodded and screamed to Myotismon, " You coward, come face me yourself!"

" But I'm not interested in you. I want the Kaiser."

" Then face me, leave my daughter out of this!" Ken walked through the portal.

" Did you leave our children alone?"

" You should fear me, not mock me!" Ken growled and took another step forward.

Kari started walking away from Myotismon.

" Were are you going?"

" Fight your battle. I am not your concern." Kari walked over to TK.

Myotismon reached for the control panel, but Yolei swooped down and landed on his shoulders.

She beat her wings against his head and hung on for dear life. " Ken now!" She screamed as Myotismon grabbed her body threw her to the ground.

Ken dove towards the Fuzzymon and grabbed his daughter. He reached for his transport devise, but looked up at Yolei whom Myotismon had by the throat.

" Go." She mouthed. Before screaming as Myotismon bit down into her throat.

Ken closed his eyes and pushed the button to transport.

***

Kari had reached TK by this point, but neither was aware of what was going on behind them. " I know you." She whispered in awe and took his hand in hers. " Wake up my love."

TK blinked and looked at Kari. " Where have you been?"

***

Izzy gapped at the computer screen; the energy was gathering again, in moment everything would change. Someone banged on the front door and Izzy raced to answer it. Joe rushed into the apartment as Ken transported out from the computer with Cammy safely in his arms.

***

Kari looked up at the sky and smiled.

" My Kali, do what you were made to do!" Myotismon screeched at her.

Kari simply said, " All is in place. May it begin again."

***

The world turned upside-down and screamed echoed through digital world, before a deafening silence pervaded.

" Yolei, Yolei my dear, are you alright?" A male voice questioned her.

Yolei struggle to think of where that voice was familiar from, but then she realized that it was Hawkmon. In fact, as she listened she could hear the voices of the other digimon. _'Oh my god it was all a dream: my daughter, the merge, Ken. It was all a dream.'_ She thought panicked before patting down her chest and smiling. She leapt off the ground and hugged Hawkmon. " You're here and I'm not thirteen!" She looked around at the other destined.

" Yolei, I can't breath!" Hawkmon complained.

Yolei set her friend down and looked around at the celebration. Davis and Cody were laughing and pointed out what they couldn't do anymore. Sora and was simply laying on her back enjoy it for the first time in years. Tai and Matt were hugging their sibling, who looked slightly nervous about the extra attention.  Mimi crying and hugging Palmon.

" My god, it's over." She whispered, and for the first time noticed that the land was clean.

" Yolei, this isn't funny, answer me!" Izzy yelled through the com-link.

Yolei smirked and radioed back. " You three get here and bring my daughter. You have to see this to believe it."


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

**16 years later:**

Rayne Ishida reclined on a lawn chair by the family pool, sunbathing in her new bikini. She reached over lazily and took a sip from her drink. " Mercy, are you coming out or not?"

Mercy Kido inched nervously out of the changing room. " I'm not comfortable in this."

Rayne glided up from her chair and snatched the towel Mercy was clutching in front of herself.

" Rayne!"

" Shh!" Rayne circled Mercy once looking her up and down critically. " You look great, but you could stand to lose the glasses."

Mercy rubbed the frames, " I can't see without them."

" So get surgery your dad's a doctor."

" He isn't an optometrist; he's a pediatrician." Mercy tugged the towel back. "And the issue isn't how I look in a two-piece. The point is that I'm not comfortable."

"That suit looks better on you than it does on Rayne, Mercy." Alexander Ishida smiled, before jumping into the pool.

" I'm gonna skin that twin of mine alive." Rayne complained before noticing Mercy five-alarm blush.

Laughter could be heard on the other side of the pool as Justice Kido held his girlfriend Cammy over his head.

" You throw me in this pool and I will unleash the unholy powers of Hell on you." She threatened.

" They already have been, I'm dating you." Justice smirked and dumped her in the pool.

Morgan Kamiya shook his head at the antics and went back to his book.

" You do realize that by being an intellectual, you've stopped the cycle of goggle-wearing leaders." Samuel Ichijouji pointed out taking off his shirt.

" And you're a rebel without a cause that takes you out of the tradition line as well." The brown haired boy shot back.

" Naw, my mother was like that for a while."

Cammy was out of pool chasing Justice around trying to exact her powers of Hell on him.

***

Yolei Ichijouji smiled at the ruckus going on outside the house. She checked her e-mail and ran her fingers through her now gray striped hair. Ken insisted that it looked like sliver, she told him that he was nuts. 

She read over the e-mail from Kari and TK. They were the self-appointed guardians of the digital world and they rarely left. She was disappointed that they hadn't had any kids, but the extent of the trauma they had suffered as children made natural conception impossible and neither were well adjusted enough to go through science's miracles. Kari now remembered everyone; TK had helped her through the difficult process of regaining her memories. They never figured out were Myotismon had kept her all those years or exactly why the merge had happened and unhappened, but they weren't complaining. TK acted normal most of the time, there were a few slips, but Kari always brought him back.

The digimon were no worse for wear, despite their deaths or time merged with their partners. They worked with TK and Kari to keep the digital world safe from harm. As for Myotismon, they never saw him again, after the refreshing he vanished without a trace. Yolei unconsciously touched the scar on her neck from his bite. 

It was strange to think back over those times. Matt and Mimi had gotten married two months after the whole ordeal and the twins were born about six months after that. It amazed Yolei how similar, yet different the children were. Rayne had her father's hair, mother's eyes and personality; she was loud, vivacious, and conscious of her beauty. Alexander was withdrawn and sarcastic his mahogany hair always shaded his deep blue eyes.  As for their parents Mimi has become a partner in Lexi's modeling business and Matt opened his own record label.

  Tai and Sora had the flower shop, three children and a wonderful life. Morgan, their oldest preferred books to people, but his brown hair and sorrowful brown eyes attracted girls left and right. Collin was a typical middle child; he was a dead ringer for his father, was okay at everything and didn't really stand out in anything. Yolei furrowed her eyebrows at the thought. Poor Collin just hadn't found his niche yet. Bailey was the youngest and the only girl. She was a soccer-playing tomboy, for now. Yolei knew when she started getting interested in boys heaven help her everyone was going to try protect her.

Joe and Taylor only had one child together, but Joe formally adopted Justice. Yolei smiled remembering the conversation Taylor relayed. Taylor had told her six-foot- six-inch tall son that he looked like his father, but Justice shook his head, hugged her and said, " I don't look anything like dad, he's white." Mercy was painfully shy; she'd worn glasses since she was two, but she was pretty. Her features were dark, but small and her prettiest feature were the gray/blue eyes that peered out from behind her glasses.

Davis has never married; he'd been content to travel the world on a motorcycle. Yolei got letters from him every month, along with pictures from where he'd been. 

Izzy and Lexi had stayed together, although they went counseling, which turned out to be good for them. They never had children of their own, first they decided they were too busy than Lexi got in car wreak and destroyed the option. They adopted a little girl from China about a month ago and were just finalizing the paperwork. Good lord a baby running around their circle again, it was unreal.

Cody and Solitaire got married a couple years after everything. They toned down a bit, but not much. Cody's mother is living with them now and its actually working out. They had one little girl, Oleanna, which meant trick. The name was prophetic. Oleanna screamed and screamed so they all thought she had exceptional hearing and the noise was driving her nuts. It turned out that Oleanna was completely deaf and still was, but that didn't stop her from getting into trouble.

Yolei certainly wouldn't complain about her life. She was married to a very sweet man, had a great family and an even better extended family. Ken asked her to marry him after the incident, with Cammy and she'd accepted. They'd married at quiet ceremony a few months after Matt and Mimi's very public wedding. Cammy loved being the only child and wasn't so sure about Samuel. Eventually the two had become very close. Samuel, who looked like his father, except for the his eyes which were golden like hers, the nose stud, the three earrings and the tattoo she'd let him get for his last birthday.  Her son was quite the troublemaker at times, but it wasn't until Isabelle, who was born five-years ago, that she truly learned what trouble was. Isabelle was colored just like her father and had his knack for figuring anything out, anything. Cammy was the wild one though, she had started dating Justice two years ago and it had been one heart attack after another. Oh well, so was life. Yolei decided long ago that she'd rather have her children getting into to trouble than not be there. 

" Mommy, can I go swimming now?" A little hand tugged on Yolei's shorts.

" Of course, angel. Let's get your life-vest on." Yolei picked up her youngest and walked out onto the patio.


	7. Authoress note

**Authoress' note:** I wanted to post this note for two reasons. One: so this would seen again; and Two: so that I could talk about my feelings about writing it.

            ACK!!! This is the last time I ever bend to peer-pressure and write a sequel, when I have no inspiration!!! I hated this story from start to finish. There are some good parts in it, but over-all I'm not happy with it. By the time I was writing the Epilogue I wanted to shred every copy of it and drop it into the bottom of the ocean. Every keeps telling me its good, but I don't believe it's up to par with my high standers. Anyways…Thanks for reading… I hope it wasn't that torturous.

*Smiles* - Tashana Ambrosia


End file.
